All-Stars: The Killer Elite
by LadyCordeliaStuart
Summary: All-Star Careers. That's all I need to say. SYOT
1. Chapter 1

Titian Qin POV

Galba wasn't happy. Usually she let the Games sort themselves out, but something was in the air. Something was in the air before it was time to start planning the Games, though. As long as there was a ruler, there would be someone who resented her. As Head Gamemaker, I was an important figure in Panem politics. I was one of a few people privileged and trusted enough to know that District Thirteen wasn't destroyed, as most of Panem believed. They were decimated and buried, but their former status as Panem's weapon makers made them a big enough threat to forestall conflict. Usually, they kept to themselves and even drained us of a few undesirable reactionaries, but there had been a few incidents lately. A shipment of industrial supplies bound for Five had gone missing. A budding insurrection in Three had managed to obtain Peacekeeper rifles before we found them out and quashed them. Security in the Capitol was through the roof and it was rumored that Galba suspected Games staff of traitorous thoughts and activities. I knew better than anyone that the Games were politics, not entertainment. They were even more crucial this year.

As always, Galba got right to the point.

"You know that usually I allow the Victor to arise naturally. I give the people their bread and circuses and they pretend a few underdogs mean something," she said. "This year, I cannot afford that. We are in no danger yet, and I shall see to it that we never are. If these incidents continue, the Districts will think they are our equal. Each time they gain a new champion from the Games, it increases their confidence. This year, the Victor will be a Career," she said. My mind started running straight away. Plainly she wanted my ideas, and I had plenty. Hysperia had been working on a number of targeted Mutts. I especially liked the terminocanids, and I couldn't wait to see them in action. Otherwise, I could arrange any number of natural disasters. It would be an amusing intellectual puzzle to determine exactly how to procure the proper Victor.

Galba held up her hand before I even started. "I'm sure you have many ideas, but I already know the solution. It's time for another Resurrection Games. But this time, only the Careers."

I was blown away. It was blindingly simple and exquisitely perfect. It worked on so many levels. The outlying Districts would realize they wouldn't lose any children this year, and there would be no Reapings for them. The Career Districts, already so loyal, would praise Galba for this favoritism. At the same time, she would show mercy to them all as she brought their dead to life and spared their innocents. The Victor would be grateful and loyal and the others would be so appreciative of the respite they'd abandon their fleeting thoughts of unrest. A Capitol-selected Victor would bring the greatest unity and celebration Panem had seen in years. For the first time, even the outliers would cheer for a Career, bringing them into agreement with the Capitol. The Capitol's strength would be Panem's salvation. Galba's next words confirmed my thoughts.

"They will see that my benevolence is greatest when my dominance is strongest," she said. Only a composed smile showed her pride in her plan, and then she was back to business. "Naturally, this will change every aspect of the Games. Often, I try to rein in your flights of fancy, but this time I encourage you. I want a Games as luxurious and lush as the Capitol. Let your extravagance run wild."

Galba was discreetly amused with my enthusiasm. I often thought she liked having me around more than she'd admit to. She was so resolutely sedate. She enjoyed watching someone so effervescent and sometimes scatterbrained. She asked me for a colorful show, and there was nothing I could do better.

* * *

 **It's ALL STARS TIME! But this time, Careers only. There will be blood. More information in the next chapter.**


	2. One Males

**I think everyone who wants to be in has submitted, so I'll get started. I have a few Tributes set to be the first Career, so I just say they're all really early Careers and leave it vague.**

* * *

Tritium Paine POV

 _What is this, some sort of joke?_

I knew I didn't win. I remembered dying, as freaky as that was. My own District partner killed me. Screw Chalcedony and screw the Games. I thought that was it, but here I was back in some Capitol hospital. Did they do this to the others, too? I could only assume it was some nefarious experiment with subjects no one would miss, since we were all dead.

Some flashy Capitol broad came into my room and waved at me like this was a party. It took me a minute to recognize Philomena. She looked _awful._

"What did they do to you? And what did they do to _me?"_ I asked. She humphed and put a hand to her chest.

"I hope you don't mean what I think you mean," she said. "Anyway, I didn't think I'd see you again. Not after the first Resurrection Games."

"What do you mean, Resurrection Games?" I asked. I had a horrid premonition that I knew what she was talking about, but I didn't dare voice it.

"You get to go back into the Games and try again. I _do_ hope you do better this time," she said. That was what I was afraid of.

When I was around my little sister and brother, I was always careful to watch my Career language. Philomena did not have that protection, and she fled the room at my barrage of profanity. This was worse than the experiment. I learned one thing from the Games: that I knew nothing about them. They weren't an adventure. They were torture. I hated every second of them and only wanted to win so they'd be over. They _were_ over until some Capitol mad scientist dug me up and shoved the life back into me. I was probably just going to die all over again. Screw that too.

* * *

Jynx Susurrus POV

I knew right away. There was nothing else it could have been. I waited for Philomena to show up and started peppering her with questions.

"Did Victory win?" I asked. Her face lit up and my spirits raised.

"No!" she said. "It was simply splendid! Out of nowhere, Nubu took the crown. Usually I'd root for you two, of course, but he's just so dreamy." _Capitolites._ I had to brace myself for the next question.

"How long has it been?" I asked.

"Just a year. Between you and me, I don't think Galba likes Nubu. That's why she did things this way this time around," she said.

"Is Victory here too?" I asked. I didn't think about the last part of her answer until I'd already asked another one. Victory and me were rivals, but she was still competent. Honestly, my chances were lower if she was around.

"Yes, she's here too. I hope you two won't _fight_ so much this time. It reflects poorly on One," Philomena said.

"I don't know. Wait, how did Galba do things differently? You just mean the Resurrection thing?" I asked. Philomena smile again and I got ready for some other horrible answer.

"That's the best part. I have a much better chance of bringing a Tribute home this year, even better than most years. This time, it's _all_ Careers!"

That certainly changed things. Victory and I couldn't afford to bicker anymore. In fact, we might be each other's best hope.

* * *

Rapture Kai POV

Kill me once, shame on me...

My first thought was that I hoped Shogo didn't win. I didn't expect it to be Kazuo. He seemed too soft. Whatever, good for him, let's get this show on the road.

"Diamond's here too, right?" I asked Philomena. I wondered if she was running between all of us from One. They must have staggered the resurrections so she could see everyone.

"Don't worry, she's here," she said. That was the only thing I was afraid of, and now I could go and win the Games. Both of us, hopefully. The rules were already bent for the Resurrection Games. Philomena said Galba wanted a Career to win, and two Careers was better than one.

Whatever the Arena was, I hoped it was better than last time. Nothing could be worse than that mutt. Last time was supposed to be about resurrection or something, so they chose a rainforest. Whatever that meant. Maybe this time it would be Heaven. I could fight an angel. Stupid harp-carrying hippies.

I had to laugh. Heaven was about to meet the Careers. We'd be like fallen angels. Hell was coming to invade Heaven.

* * *

Glaudius Gold POV

I must have won. It was dicey there for a minute. That weird were-crocodile tore into me and that other boy, and I wasn't sure who was going to die first.

I didn't recognize the Capitol woman who came into my room. She wasn't like my escort Antigone. This woman was all dudded up and weirdly sultry for an older woman.

"Are you another stylist? I'm ready for the Coronation," I said. She cocked her head and wrinkled her nose like I'd said I was ready to shoot some aliens.

"Coronation? Oh, honey, you didn't win. You died," she said.

"What?!" I said. I sat up and looked around. She couldn't fool me. I didn't know what happened after death, but this wasn't Heaven. Or maybe Hell, in my case...

"This is the second Resurrection Games. It's only Careers this time. As one of the first, you were selected personally by Galba," she said.

There was too much to even start thinking about. Resurrection Games? _Second?_ Only Careers? They must have really taken off. My stomach sank and I felt dizzy, like I was standing on the edge of a cliff.

"What Games is this?" I asked, and my voice cracked.

"It's been a long time," the woman said, and my heart started to race. How long had it been? Was I a thousand years in the future? I would be a relic. The world would be unfathomable.

"It's the fortieth Games," the woman finished, and I was as relieved as I was horrified. I'd been dead over twenty years. My parents were probably dead. Everything I knew was different. I wouldn't even recognize my District. The Academy must have changed, too. I'd be fighting against a generation of Careers trained from birth. Nothing was the same. Nothing but death.


	3. One Females

Charmaine Vale POV

I cried out and ripped the blankets off me. I expected to see the welts all over me and to feel the fabric scraping against them and tearing them open, but my skin was smooth. I didn't feel the poison in my blood and my muscles weren't seizing up anymore.

"What's going on?" I asked the woman by my bed. I couldn't have won. There were so many other Tributes left, and I was the weakest Career. I only went in at all to make my mother proud. I couldn't win for her. I couldn't even stay alive.

"Aren't you lucky? You're part of the second Resurrection Games. I'm sure you'll like this one. It's all Careers, just like you," the woman said.

"Resurrection? How is that possible?" I asked. The Capitol couldn't do that. They didn't control life and death that much, or none of them would ever die. The woman shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm an escort, not a scientist. Probably something to do with clones," she said. I was a _clone?_ How did that work? Was I really the same person? Clones are something out of science fiction. They were no more real than aliens. I didn't understand any of it.

"Now this may come as a shock," the woman said. I didn't know how anything could shock me after that, but it did. "This is the fortieth Hunger Games."

 _I've been dead_ thirty-two years? _What about Mom?_

"Where's my mother? Is she.. alive?" I asked. She wouldn't recognize me after all this time. The woman took a pad out of her pocket and pressed a few buttons.

"Let's see... Naima Vale. Look's like... she's alive!" she said. I thought of the last time I saw her and how different she'd look now. I wondered if she even thought of me and how disappointed she must be and pressed my fists to my eyes as I cried.

"Oh dear, what's wrong?" the woman said. _Everything_ was wrong. I only went into the Games to make my mother proud. I never wanted to go back. I just wanted to see her again.

* * *

Victory Amarinthine POV

Honestly, it was more embarrassing than anything else. All the Capitol would still be agog over the last Victor, and he was the one that killed me. Next time I saw Nubu I didn't know whether to shake his hand or throttle him. But then, I didn't expect another life in this game, and this time around I knew to do things differently.

"Jynx is here too, isn't he?" I asked. Of course I wasn't surprised when Philomena confirmed it. They'd want the two rivals from One to duke it out again and hopefully kill each other this time. But this was a new game, and I had different plans.

Like it or not, Jynx was my most valuable ally in the Resurrection Games. We knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and he was the only one I knew wouldn't betray me until the final two. We both wanted a final, uninterrupted duel. The only way to ensure that was to be the only two left. We both wanted the other alive, unlike anyone else in the Games.

"All right, practice round's over. This time for real," I said as I got out of bed.

"You're taking this much better than most of my Tributes," Philomena commented.

"Yeah, I _am_ much better than most of your Tributes," I answered. I dearly hoped Jynx had the same idea I did. The only thing more embarrassing than getting killed by Nubu would be asking Jynx for an alliance and getting laughed out of the room. The Games make strange bedfellows.

* * *

Diamond Kai POV

Anything was better than that monster. Even Hell couldn't be worse. But I'd been through this before, and I knew it wasn't the afterlife I was sitting in. Watching me die twice wasn't enough for the Capitol, and I knew I'd find my little brother here, too. I could hardly call him my little brother anymore. He was still younger, but we were both about thirty years old in real time. He wasn't a baby anymore.

Philomena had to cajole me out of the room to meet Rapture and the others. I wanted to stay where I could see all the walls and know nothing was coming. I hoped the Arena was urban this time around. I never wanted to see another cave or another night again. If I couldn't see what was around me, it might be the monster.

Rapture looked as happy to see me as he had the first time, but it just broke my heart to meet him again. I didn't want him to be here. I wanted him to be a Victor. Meeting him again just meant losing him again. Over and over I couldn't save him. No matter how old we got, I'd still always feel like his protector. I never did my job, and I was a coward to hope I died first again.

* * *

Olivine Martinez POV

I should have been humiliated when I came back to life. I'd lost the Games and I'd shown the world that Olivine Martinez may have been a fighter, but she wasn't a winner. Instead, I saw the positive straight away. I'd lost, yes, but Panem thought I was worth bringing back to life. They saw me as a contender, and I was ready to prove them right.

I asked about Cierra more out of curiosity than anything else. She was stronger than I'd thought, but I didn't expect her to last long in a Careers-only Game. She was far too kind and trusting. We all remembered about her and the Wonderland girl. The meek weren't going to inherit these Games. These Games were survival of the fittest.

I didn't expect the Careers twist, but I liked it. Winning these Games would more than make up for my first showing. If I beat the best of the best, I would be the Uber-Victor. Perhaps I'd lost a battle only to win a war.

It was wonderful to be burn-free again. It seemed impossible that I'd ever taken smooth, pain-free skin for granted. I felt like a million bucks, and I was ready to get back in the fight. Last time, I'd been the last Career standing. Time to repeat that performance.

* * *

Chantal Ivingin POV

If I could keep going up, I'd win this time around. It was funny to look back at my first Games, so long ago. I'd entered to show a bunch of snobby girls that I wasn't who they thought I was. By now they'd be middle-aged and burned out. Meanwhile I was still in the public eye, not that I spared any thoughts for them anymore. They were so far behind me I could barely remember their faces. This third time around, I was doing it for me.

The first time, Pray killed me. There was no shame in that. She could have killed anyone. The second time, it took two to take me out. After Pray that was almost a downgrade, but it was still impressive. I planned to continue my successive improvements by winning this time. The all-Careers twist was going to make things more difficult. I'd have to pick my allies carefully. The pack was going to be interesting this year. It was likely there would be multiple, and they might overlap. The Games might look more like gang warfare than guerrilla warfare.

I was glad Kazuo won my last Games. Career pride and all. We'd been having a few lackluster years, but this time we were guaranteed a Victor. The inevitability of it diminished its impact slightly, but the difficulty of the Games would make up for it. I didn't care what people thought of me anymore, but I still planned to win. For myself, and for no one else.

* * *

Priscilla Piscot POV

"Can I see Miall yet?" I asked Philomena.

"This time it's only Careers. Isn't that exciting?" she said.

"Yeah, cool. Can I see Miall?" I asked.

"I expect the Arena will be especially spectacular this year, too," Philomena said.

"Yeah, whatever. When can I see Miall?" I asked. I didn't care about Arenas or mutts or any of that stuff. Philomena can be such a ditz.

"I know you're very brave," Philomena said. There was an instant of confusion, and then my heart stopped. I heard it beating, but it wasn't working anymore. My chest rose and fell, but I wasn't breathing. My eyes started to leak, and I trembled.

"I want to see him," I said. My voice was soft and empty. Philomena wouldn't meet my eyes. She dabbed at her nose with a handkerchief.

"It's just us girls this time. Won't that be fun?" she said. I could hardly understand the last few words, since she melted down mid-sentence. She looked so devastated I wanted to comfort her, but I resented her for it. _I_ was the one who lost her brother. She should be comforting _me._ She should have been the strong one. Goodness knew I didn't have any strength left. I wasn't even sure I had any life left.

* * *

 **Miall wasn't requested, so we got this tearjerker. Also, Charmaine's mother didn't have a name I noticed, so I just filled one in because the line flowed better that way.**

 **Since the pre-23 Games are largely mapped out in this universe, not all the details fit. A lot of the Careers submitted originally to this story have histories that don't line up, so I'll use what does and sort of dance around what doesn't.**


	4. Two Males

Ash Smith POV

I'd made it big. I messed up getting killed in the Bloodbath, but I could hardly have seen that coming. There were rules in warfare, and even in the Games. Of course they were all broken eventually, but District partners didn't kill each other in the Bloodbath. I didn't expect to see that cheat Mary Ellen again. The Capitol wouldn't pick _her._

But anyway, I'd made it big. The Capitol picked me for the Resurrection Games. They wanted to see me fight again, and if I kept giving them a good show, I could have a permanent gig. I still intended to win and all, but I could potentially make this work better than they ever dreamed. As long as I kept myself popular, I could keep fighting and seeing new Arenas forever, as long as there were Resurrection Games. It was risky to the highest degree, but it was also a daredevil's dream.

I was even more pleased when I heard it was only Careers. We wouldn't have to worry about a bunch of wailing losers getting in our way and mucking up the works. It would be what the Games _should_ be- a grueling deathmatch where we could test our mettle against the best Panem had to offer. It was going to be bigger than anything I'd ever done, and harder than all my training and my first Games. It would be the rush of two lifetimes.

* * *

Troy Cahill POV

This isn't how it was supposed to happen. I'd always been told I was supposed to fight and win for District Two. Only after I'd volunteered did I start to wonder if there was more in the world. I met the other Tributes and found out that maybe a life so singleminded wasn't worth living. It was too late to make friends in the Arena, and it didn't seem like it would be any better a second time around.

I was pulled between two possible outcomes. If I buckled down and focused, I had a good chance of winning the Games, even with other Careers involved. But then, we were all great fighters this time. No matter how hard I fought, there was always the possibility someone else could win. I wanted to make something of myself and find a life worth living, and maybe winning wasn't the only way to do that.

Winning was still the primary objective, but I could do more than that. I'd always been a competent leader. I could find some allies and make some connections. We'd already have a lot in common, and a lot of people probably felt the same way I did. If the worst happened and I didn't live, maybe I could count the eventual Victor as my friend. It was too late for me to ever live a normal life, but I could make it as normal as possible. I had a second chance at life, and I could live new things and see how much I'd been missing out on. Win or die, I was going to live.

* * *

Orren Daphne POV

I hadn't finished my mission yet. My body was ravaged, torn apart by that mutt, but I wasn't done. The ones above us took me and sewed me back together, sending me back to finish the job. I didn't know why I had to wait so long to get started. I was ready to begin now. My earlier failure didn't release me from my responsibilities. Even death couldn't keep me from my job. And I understood death well.

I didn't know any of the others I was about to see, but I could feel their sins already. They must have been terrible to put them in my jurisdiction. I scrolled through the faces on the tablet by my bed and looked into their hearts. There was a blond girl with almond eyes. I saw she was a liar and a gossip. I saw a tall, strong-looking boy whose toned body hid his gluttony. I noted all their faces and started to sort through who needed to be punished first.

They told me the others had all been here before. That meant they were all murderers. They slew innocents in their arrogance and depravity. My sins didn't matter anymore, since I was already dead. In an Arena of sinners waiting for condemnation, I was an angel. I was the Angel of Death.

* * *

Hunter Dubchen (Who is actually from One but I deleted that chapter to clear space)

I was paralyzed with uncertainty and indecision. I'd told Philomena I didn't want any visitors yet, and I wasn't sure I ever would. I didn't know if Tillo was even in the Capitol. It was a Careers-only Games. Felix wasn't here either, so she really had no reason to be. What had happened between us was a passing fancy, not the real love she found later. She'd be so different now. She had her own life and I would only be a distant memory.

Then there was the matter of my son. Truly he was more Felix's son than mine. He probably didn't care if he ever saw me again. It had been ten years since he was born, and I'd only seen him for the couple of days I spent in the Capitol before the first Resurrection Games. As tenuous as my connection was with him, I wondered what had happened to him over the years. He had such a singular upbringing, catapulting every year between the Districts and the Capitol. He was a celebrity from birth. The Capitol twisted people and perverted morals. Had they done that to him?

In just two more years he'd be eligible for the Reaping. The odds of one Tribute's child getting picked were nearly nonexistent, but I wondered if that mattered. It all came down to his mother in the end. If Tillo was a good little Victor, he wouldn't have to worry. Her demeanor in the Capitol told me more about her attitudes than her few words. I knew she hated the people she was forced to interact with. I only hoped she was good at hiding it.

All of that happened so long ago, but for me it was like yesterday. I'd traveled forward in time while everyone else lived life at a normal pace. I didn't know how different things were or if I still had any connections. I was in it alone.


	5. Two Females

**Ava Hanson has an eating disorder.**

* * *

Akari Igneous POV

Everything around me felt like a warm glow,not the blistering heat of the desert sand with my head caved in. So why wasn't I dead? The last thing I remembered was Crag's betrayal to the alliance, then us trying to kill the other. Opening my eyes revealed a bright lit room with Quora leaning against the wall and smiling at me.

"Where am I? because I sure as hell didn't win," I asked.

"Aww is the poor little killer confused? You're in the capitol again and been brought back for another games," she said.

My eyes shot daggers at her as if she was mocking me for failure. "And how long has it been since my games?"

"Nineteen, and I hope you're ready,you get to kill more," she purred as her smile turned into a wolf's grin and then a giggle.

* * *

Avarielle "Ava" Hanson POV

Why did they keep picking me? I kept dying. I was a failure. I knew what was going on as soon as I woke up. Pray looked almost motherly by my bed. She was older than last time, of course, although Victors seemed to defy aging.

"It's supposed to be Ijolite meeting all of you, but I told her to go curl her hair," she said. "I had to see this myself. It's your third time cycling through, girl. You going to do it right this time?"

"Probably not. Look what happened the last two times. Did Apollo at least win?" I asked. She curled her claws around the bars on the edge of my bed.

"No, and that's not what I meant. Death happens. You never lived. You going to stop killing yourself before the Games even start? Gonna stop throwing away the best tool you have and start taking care of your body?" she asked. I never thought I was anything more than a faint, disappointing memory to Silver Claws. She was more worked up than I'd seen... since before I died. She actually thought I was worth something. So did the Capitol, and so did Apollo. The greatest wake-up call came when I realized that even Pray Jager, the greatest butcher the Games had ever seen, thought I was too morbid.

When people found out I starved myself, they thought it was because I wanted to look pretty. I knew I couldn't ever be pretty, just like so many other things I could never be. I did it to prove I controlled myself and my mind. I decided how much I ate, not my base cravings. It made me disciplined and strong. But Pray knew death and Pray knew control. There were other things I could focus on. I could control who I allied with. I could control my strategy. If I listened to her, I could control who won the Games. Even if I didn't value myself, Pray valued me. I didn't care enough to win for me, but I could win for her.

* * *

Mary Ellen Westley POV

So it was only the Careers this time. I hoped it wasn't Tori or Floki. Not that I was scared of them. I just couldn't stand them. Them and their high and mighty attitudes. Them sniveling and refusing to give the Capitol what they wanted and what they gave us so much luxury to provide. They tried to tell themselves that they were good on the inside, that they only killed for honor or onl killed people that could fight back. They were living a pipe dream. There are the killers and there are the victims. There are those that cower in fear and those that tear them apart and glory in the savage joy.

I looked forward to fighting Tributes with more spine, but I wouldn't have minded if the cattle had been invited, too. It would mean more people to hunt. They were beneath me, sure, but they were good to dip a sword into when the blood ran dry.

There was one other reason I hoped it wasn't Tori or Floki. Honestly, it was embarrassing that those two outlasted me. I was out of their league. What happened was a fluke, and I was ready to get things right this time.

* * *

Steel Keshmin POV

I screamed and tore at the knife in my arm. Something was wrapped around me like a net. I threw it off and another body pressed into mine, trying to force me back to the ground.

"Goodness! It's all right! Don't worry!" a voice too old to be Shade's rang out. _Don't worry?_ Was the woman insane? How did a grown woman get into the Arena? I shoved her and she squawked and fell away. Two weights fell on my arms and pinned me against the soft ground. I thrashed until the net was off and saw I was in a hospital room. Two men were holding me down as a Capitol woman dressed in a bizarre outfit got off the floor and adjusted her hair.

" _We_ are excitable," she said. "Obviously you're unaware this is a Resurrection Games."

"Ressurection Games," I repeated. A tumult of staggering truths overwhelmed me. I died. I came back. I was going to fight again. My mind didn't know which to focus on.

"Also, this is a Careers only Games. Isn't that exciting?" the woman asked.

"Careers? What are you talking about?" _The Games are going to be a job fair or something?_

"You know, _Careers!"_ the woman said, like I was stupid. The put a hand to her mouth. "Ohhh! You were from _before_ that! I'll explain. The Careers are the very best the Capitol has to offer. They train all their lives for a chance to prove their worth in the Arena. You're among the best."

What was she talking about? People _wanted_ to go to the Games? I did, yes, but that was because I was a Peacekeeper cadet. It was to show that I supported the Capitol, and I did. I was always loyal to the country I loved so much.

"Are all Tributes... Careers now?" I asked. The woman smiled.

"Oh, no. The outlying Districts are ever so much weaker. The first day is usually taken up by the Careers killing all of them," she said. Then I knew she must be insane. The Capitol would never allow that. The Capitol was good.

* * *

Odeda Titan POV

A second chance? _Heck,_ yes!

The Games were everything I'd thought they'd be. It was great picking off the weaklings and roughing it in the wild. It was like all my years at the Academy were a practice exam and I'd finally graduated. Everyone wanted to do things like that in their hearts. I got to do it and I was the _good guy._

Of course, dying wasn't fun. My own District partner took me out, and screw him very much. He didn't win, though. Jackpot.

Even though I died, it was still better than a piddling life in Two with a deadbeat job and a bunch of whining kids. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and here I was. Long live the Capitol and long live Galba.

It was going to be even more fun with only Careers. Maybe the Bloodbath wouldn't be quite as fun, since there were no comically weak Tributes to kill, but after that it would be one big party. No waiting around for fights and trying to maintain a pack far longer than necessary. The first Bloodbath would be less exciting, but really it wouldn't. The whole _Games_ would be a Bloodbath.

* * *

Lottie Parker POV

 _Gosh, I'm hungry._

I listened through Ijolite's explanation while bent over a platter full of Capitol delicacies. Some of the others were probably pretty surprised, but this is Panem. Weirder things have happened.

"So, I must have starved to death?" I asked.

"Yes, as is quite apparent," Ijolite said, and she pursed her lips at my table manners. I looked down at my plate and my appetite waned.

Food is what lost me the Games. I got distracted looking for food and never got back on track. I needed to be more focused this time. I pushed away the plate of potatoes I'd been eating and took a single green bean instead. Food was going to be fuel now, not a hobby.

"It's been a long time. How's my family?" I asked. Ijolite took out a long list and scanned for my name.

"The Capitol regrets to inform you that your parents have passed away from old age," she said. Her voice was monotone.

 _Ick, that's rough._ I thought of my parents and all the good times we'd had. But it was weird feeling bad, since they'd had a full life while I was unfortunately dead. It wasn't something I should think about until after the Games, anyway. The Gamemakers didn't have to be so rude, resurrecting me with my pre-Games husky form. It was good for adding force to strikes, but it was a low blow.

I pushed away thoughts of family and food and started planning. I needed to get into shape. I wasn't going to win the Games as a fatty.

* * *

Aversa Jewel POV

I loved it. Bringing the Careers back and letting us all kill each other again? There's nothing we wanted more. We were even more loyal now.

This was going to change everything. It was hard to have a Career pack when we were all Careers. Would the strongest of all merge for an uber-pack? Would there be a half dozen smaller packs? Would we all go it alone, giving the introverts a huge advantage? Time would tell.

And what about the Bloodbath? We'd _all_ rush in, looking for weapons and a fight. With luck the Gamemakers would stuff the Cornucopia with weapons for everyone. They had skin in the game too, since they wanted a good show. If those toads pulled a fast one on us and didn't put any weapons in the Cornucopia, there'd be a riot.

 _Awww..._ half the fun of the Games is mowing down the sheep in the Bloodbath. There were no sheep this time! Oh well, some of the Careers would be weaker.

There was one major problem. In my first Games, I stuck out. I was a Career, one of the front-runners and game-shapers. This time, I was just one of the crowd. I hated blending in. Everything I did was calculated to make sure people knew I was the one to watch and to make sure people did. How was I going to make sure that the people focused on what was most important: me?

* * *

Cierra Daline POV

I did good. Not good enough to win, but good. A year ago- or a year before I died, I guess- I'd have thought Olivine would have taken me apart. But she didn't. At least, we both died. I wasn't the best Career, since I didn't win, but I wasn't the worst.

I made a friend, too. The best thing about this Careers thing was that there would be no little girls like Alice in the Games. I would have given anything to save her. I was never going to forget her. She wasn't like the girls in Two. She really liked me. She didn't have to pretend. She made me think maybe there was something to like about me.

I was already thinking about who I could ally with this time. I was wary of the other girls from Two. I had experience with them. The girls from One were all such snobs. They thought they were as fine and beautiful as their jewels. My best bet seemed to be the Four girls. They were usually the most laid-back of the Careers. But then again, I didn't know most of the other Tributes. I shouldn't judge them because of where they were from.

I was in deep trouble. I never should have volunteered in the first place. In a Careers Games, I definitely wasn't the favorite. But there was nothing I could do about that. I looked forward to another chance at making friends, and anything could happen. I surprised myself once. Maybe I could do it again.

* * *

Venus Lorieta POV

We were a mix of the strongest personalities in Panem. There were showoffs and grandstanders. Pretenders and vamps. Psychotic killers and attention whores. The more time I spent around fellow Careers, the more I wanted to distance myself from them. They'd all lost sight of what was important.

The Games aren't about victory. They're not about honor and prizes, or showing who's the best. They're about killing. The purpose of the Games is for twenty-three people to die. I didn't want to be a Victor or a champion. I wanted to be a killer. I had no joy from watching life bleed away and nothing to prove by defeating others. It was my nature. That was all it was.

Maybe that made me twisted. But who's to say what's twisted and what's normal? The Games happened every year. Those in power sided with me. No one who opposed the Games cared enough to end them. All the important people in Panem, all of the elite, were on my side.

I knew what the really twisted thing was. Out of all the Careers in these Games, I was one of the better ones to meet. Death was inevitable for all but one of us. Meeting me wouldn't end in torture or a dramatic kill. It would just mean death. Death as easy as it was certain. In Panem, I was the last and best thing anyone could hope for.

* * *

 **Well, Venus just got super creepy out of nowhere...**

 **Akari's POV was written by her submitter, so credit to Tinks113.**

 **I try to write so the POVs average out mostly the same by the end when it comes to word count, but if you see someone getting shafted chances are I overlooked it and it's okay to let me know.**

 **If you're new here, you'll find I often update in the dead of night because I work the graveyard shift and my circadian rhythms have changed. I also don't update from Saturday-Monday because I work all night and sleep all day.**


	6. Four Males

Ole Rodgers POV

They explained to me what was going on. There were a million things I could have asked, but there was only one thing on my mind.

"Where's Hatchet?" I asked. It couldn't be, but I held out some insane hope that I had died first and she had won, even though someone else had to have killed us both.

"Naturally she wasn't select-" the new escort said.

"Why not?!" I interrupted, and he jumped.

"In _your_ case, your kill count was by far enough on its own. Hatchet, well... she was just a little girl. She was _boring,"_ he said. I grabbed his collar and hualed him closer.

"Get her back!" I yelled.

"It wasn't my decision! The Gamemakers chose!" the man said, and I let him go. He straightened his collar like that was the most important thing in this situation.

"Look on the bright side. You have a second chance at life," the man said. I glared at him and he fell silent.

 _But she doesn't,_ I thought. My niece never should have been there. Indigo was meant to volunteer, but the coward nevr said a word. Hatchet wanted to be a Career ever since the Academy started, but she was only twelve when this happened. The only reason I had such a high kill count was because I killed anyone who was a threat to her. I didn't even want to win. I was going to wait until the final two and kill myself. All it took was a moment of inattention, and everything was lost.

 _What's the difference between a piano and a fish?_ She'd asked me, and I never heard the answer. The axe in her chest cut her off and a sword finished me before I saw her killer.

"Who won?" I asked.

"You don't want to know," the man said.

* * *

Floki Grimm POV

Valhalla was very nice. I didn't really remember it, but remembered that much. I wasn't sure why they picked me to come back, since I went in to the Games expressly to die. I wondered what would happen if I died twice. Would I go to double Valhalla? There would be no one there but Baldur.

I was one of the lucky ones. All my family was still alive and I wasn't from so long ago that I didn't recognize the world. It was almost like nothing had happened and I was fighting a Games that lasted twice as long as normal. This was like a halftime break.

Whatever the reasons they picked me, they were in for a surprise. I finished my story and got my ending. I didn't need to do that anymore. I didn't see any need to obtain Valhalla again when I already had my ticket. I couldn't help getting pulled back and I was sure my seat was still reserved. This time I could do things differently.

There were so many different ways to live in Panem. There were Careers and Peacekeepers, common District people and escorts. My family had always been warriors, even without any battles to fight. I had a new life and I didn't want to just repeat the old one. I'd fought my battles and I was ready to try peace. This time around, I'd fight to live, but it would be a last battle. If I won, I was going to settle down and get the family I'd always wondered about. I'd attained my dream of Valhalla. My new dream was for a pretty wife, a house by the sea, and a couple of kids. It would be an entirely new sort of adventure.

* * *

Whyte Roberts POV

Easy come, easy go. Maybe this time a chair won't kill me. Vera was never going to forget that.

"I know the drill. Can I see Vera?" I asked Gaudius. He looked off and cleared his throat.

"Ahem... Vera will not be participating in these Games," he said. My heart leaped and blood shot through my veins.

" _What?_ What do you mean?" I asked. How could they not pick her? Was she dead forever now? I couldn't imagine it. Not Vera.

"The Gamemakers feel she is a better fit for a future project they have planned," Gaudius said.

"Future project? If she going to be a _mutt_ or something?" I asked. Gaudius looked around at unseen hidden cameras and continued.

"I shouldn't tell you. _Rumor_ has it that there will be another Resurrection Games excluding Careers. The Gamemakers wanted Vera to participate in that one due to her... romantic inclinations," he said.

I got it. Vera was going to be paired with Frankie, not me. I should have been happy she'd found love. I had my own girlfriend, after all, even if she was like ten years older than me now. But there was something insulting about it all. I'd always wondered if Vera didn't fancy me a bit. It was insulting to find out she preferred an emotionless robot over me, even if I didn't ever make a move.

"I guess I'm on my own," I said. It was strange. I'd been with Vera for ages. We were the only ones that could stand each others' eccentricities. Going into the Games without her was like going in with only one eye.

 _Well happy freaking Valentine's Day to Vera. Love stinks._

* * *

 **Only three males here and only one new guy. I'm sure there will be a lot more females. If a girl wins this time, it's just statistics.**

 **I can all more Tributes all the way to the Bloodbath if someone didn't get in yet for whatever reason.**


	7. Four Females

**Mist is bonkers. Just plain bonkers. She's schizophrenic, but I'm no expert so she's more just insane. If you want a slight chance of understanding her ramblings, there's more about her in Your Vote Matters: The 25th Hunger Games**

* * *

Tally Sandpiper POV

I sat upright and flailed. I didn't expect my arms to move, since I didn't expect them to be attached. I felt alien in my own skin when I saw my body. After what Orren had done, I thought I was in pieces. I looked smooth and new, like nothing had happened.

"Goodness, you're enthusiastic," Gaudius said. I hadn't noticed him until then.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. I'd thought I was an angel. There was nothing else that could have put me back together.

"I'm your _escort,_ of course," Gaudius said. "This is the Resurrection Games."

I didn't know how long I stared at Gaudius while he explained what was going on. It didn't make any sense, and I couldn't get my thoughts straight. I heard something about Orren being here too and shuddered. Otherwise, it was all a blur.

"So I do it all again?" I asked. Gaudius sighed.

"Weren't you _listening?"_ he asked. I _was_ listening. I just didn't really hear any of it.

After Gaudius left I stayed in bed to process it all. It seemed that the Capitol wanted us all to try again. They must have picked me because I had so much training. Most people just went into the Games from the streets. It was all new and weird, but I was happy to get another chance. This time maybe I could get home to my fiance. If he still even remembered me. I had enough to think about without worrying about him. I'd cross that when I came to it.

* * *

Arielle Ermin POV

I was too soft last time. I should have killed Oaken as soon as I saw him. Killing was so easy for most Careers. It always came hard to me, and I was embarrassed about it. I felt like a wimp, and I was always afraid the others would find out. I couldn't afford that anymore. I'd died once and I didn't want to die again.

I was a new person now. I wasn't as confident. Kazuo killed me and Oaken at the same time. He didn't even end up winning. The standards were much higher than I'd thought and obviously I didn't measure up. I would have to cut out every weakness and play the game perfectly if I was going to win this time. There was no room for mercy. I didn't want to become a monster, but I would do what was necessary to live.

I didn't want to admit it, but I might not be able to do it alone. I needed good, solid allies, and I'd have to stick with them this time. Things had to be different this time. I wanted to live. I wanted to show the Capitol they were wrong and get revenge for what they did to me. Last time I wasn't good enough, but I'd learned. This time I'd be better.

* * *

Mist Hastings POV

Troy said he wasn't mad at me. I didn't know how he could not be, but he said so.

Because you were sick, he said. _I'm still sick,_ I thought. Troy was always on my case before. Now he was quieter.

He's wrong. He was right before.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed. Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

Why did they let all these people into the room? I couldn't hear myself think.

A man came into the room. There were bees buzzing around his head, but he didn't care.

"Uh, hello, Mist. How are you feeling? Because you look like hell, you hag," he said. I didn't say anything. This was another of their traps. They were always watching us, even in the Games. There were trackers in our arms and chemicals in the water. They took us here to do things to us. Horrid experiments.

They're going to cut you up.

Cut into your brain and see why you were born a monster.

"You're really not mad at me?" I asked Troy.

"Of course not," the bee man said. I wasn't talking to him.

You didn't ask for any of this, Troy said. The others started in, talking over each other until I couldn't tell them apart. I covered my ears and tried to drive them away.

"Seashells, seashells, crabs and gulls. Tide it comes and tide it goes..."

* * *

Marley Xander POV

That little snot. He cut off my head. I bet he ate Red too. Red didn't deserve this. Why is it always the innocents that suffer?

I got my revenge when I saw Elver was not asked to participate in the Career Resurrection Games. Turned out Bambi won, which was good for a laugh. I'd have thought it would be Troy.

I loved the idea of these Games. It was going to be way more fun to fight other people like me. More Tributes meant the Games would last longer. I did some snooping and found out Troy, Cierra and Olivine were here too. Troy was all right, even though he was a stick in the mud. I hardly knew Cierra, since she went off on her own for whatever reason. I was glad to see Olivine again. We were friends in the Arena. If we'd lived in the same District we would have really gotten up to mischief. Really it was a good thing we didn't. We'd have burned the place down by now.

I was making my plans for the upcoming Games when I had a glorious thought. This was the Resurrection Games. The Capitol had the power to resurrect people. If I won, they might do it for me. It was the best prize imaginable. If I won, I was going to meet a long-lost friend again. And her name was Red.

* * *

Camille Buchanere POV

I didn't expect to see Shelle in Heaven. Last I checked, she was alive.

"You died too? That sucks," I said.

"Good guess, but no. This is a little weird, but a while back, the Capitol started doing 'Resurrection Games'. You and about thirty other Tributes, all Careers, are back to try again," she said.

 _That's heavy._ It should have been a big deal, but I knew how powerful the Capitol was. There was nothing I wouldn't put past them.

"So I get another chance? Great," I said.

"Right, and this time you're going to have to play your cards better. Obviously, you'll be going for the femme fatale angle. You're hardly capable of anything else," Shelle said. She didn't mean to insult me. I _was_ a femme fatale. It came naturally.

"What do I need an angle for? I'm a shoo-in," I said.

"Obviously. That's why you're a Victor," Shelle said. I huffed at her.

"This is what we have to work on. We're a little arrogant," Shelle said. I wanted to snap back at her, but she was right. I could hate it all I wanted, but I'd died once. I didn't want it to happen again. I shut up and listened.

* * *

Kaliana "Kali" Reese POV

I was starting to think I'd made a mistake. Actually, I started thinking that when I started dying. Dying really showed me I was right that I was wrong. If it hadn't been me, I would have laughed at a Tribute from Four dying of dehydration.

I must have been dead a long time. I didn't know the mentor from Four. He explained what was going on. It was pretty far out, but it was life and I'd have to get used to it.

I was weird seeing pictures of the other Careers with me. They all looked really focused and intense. The Academy must have really taken off. Back when I volunteered, it was more of an extreme sport. It seemed like a way of life now. I was nervous to meet the newer Careers. If they were as good as they looked, I was in trouble.

Having only Careers was going to change everything. I was glad the children from other Districts were spared. I never liked the thought of killing them. I honestly liked training more than actually fighting. If all the Tributes were trained this year, few of them would die of natural causes. There was going to be a lot of killing. It was weird to think of so many kids killings each other. I just hoped one of them wasn't me.

* * *

 **Shogo's submitter said his arc was completed and there was no point bringing him back, so I didn't. I think she was right, as well.**

 **This all-Careers Games alters things, so not all the Capitol chapters will be in their usual form and order.**


	8. Choosing Sides

Kazuo Braun POV

One, Two, and Four had fifteen Victors. Between us, we had to get thirty-one Tributes mentored. That averaged out to two Tributes per Victor, at least for some of us. There were way more girls than boys. Azure, Hyden, Jerky and I had four Tributes to choose from, so we each only got one.

"I want Rapture," Jerky blurted. Fine with me. I didn't want anything that reminded me of what happened in that Arena and what was _in_ that Arena. Azure and Hyden started arguing over Jynx, which left me with Glaudius and Tritium. Either of them would be all right. I found myself drawn toward Glaudius. He had no idea what the Careers had become. I was tired of killing and tired of death. With Glaudius, I could focus on living instead.

* * *

Estrella Vasquez POV

Me and Peridot got three girls each. Luckily, our personalities balanced. She wanted the ones who would kill the most. I wanted the ones that would be the most fun.

"I want Olivine," I said. Peridot considered.

"If I can have Chantal," she countered. She'd been my next choice, but I could live with it.

"All right. Let me have... Victory," I said. I was almost disappointed with this crop. I wanted Tributes that would go into the Games with the same gusto I did. The Games were the most fun I had in my entire life. Half these girls just wanted to win. How boring was that?

"I'll take Diamond, and I also want Charmaine," Peridot said.

"That leaves me with Priscilla," I said distastefully. Last time around, I'd have been happy. Priscilla was a riot. This time, all she did was mope about her brother.

"You can't get all your picks. I have preferences too," Peridot said. I went over my roster. It was the best I was going to do. Maybe I could put some wind back in Priscilla's sails.

"All right. Deal."

* * *

Crag Steiner POV

Two for me, two for Makarios. I didn't usually get to pick my mentees, so that was cool. I only wish we got as many boys as we did girls.

"Mind if I take Troy?" I asked.

"Nah. I wanted Hunter anyway," Makarios said. He _would._ He was one of the ones who still believed in the Games as a honorable spectacle.

"I'll take one for the team and tackle Orren. Why not?" I said. He wasn't going to win, but we could have some laughs. Troy was the best bet anyway.

* * *

Pray Jager POV

"I'll be taking Ava," I said.

"You don't say," Megara said.

"I'd have thought you'd want Venus. She has the best chance," Doris said.

"I don't care. You pick and I'll take whoever else is left," I said. I'd already won. I didn't need another notch on my belt.

I ended up with Steel as my other pick. Seemed no one else wanted her. I looked over her files and found out why. I had a waif and a lamb as my two mentees. What did I get myself into?

* * *

Jonah Breaker POV

I was the only one who didn't have any competition in my bracket. Ole, Whyte and Floki were all mine. Floki and Whyte had already gotten together an alliance, so that worked out nicely. My chances weren't half-bad.

* * *

Mags Cohen POV

"You take Mist."

"Oh no. _You_ take her."

" _I_ don't want to take her!"

"Neither do I!"

"Come on. Please?"

"I did it last time."

 _Crap._

* * *

 **I tried to keep all the requested mentors, but I am both disorganized and absent-minded. If your Tribute was supposed to go with someone else, I'll change it.**


	9. Prepping for the Parade

**I messed up either Orren or Tally, since they were supposed to be together. I think Orren belongs in Four.**

* * *

Hollan Makhpiya POV

What a time to be alive! I had _ten_ Tributes to fuss over and what with the Resurrection theme, I was encouraged to go even more decadent than usual. Titian Qin himself came to see me and say he wanted the parade to follow a special theme this year. It was a wonderful idea and I couldn't wait to make it happen. Some of the Tributes were easier than others to fit in, but I would make it work.

* * *

Frippery Tubman POV

It was wonderful to see some familiar faces. Especially Troy's and Ash's. They could keep getting resurrected forever, if you asked me. I was glad about the special theme, as well. It would have been difficult otherwise, since there would be so many of the same thing. Some of the Tributes were going to give me trouble, but the show must go on.

* * *

Rouge Twain POV

This was right up my alley. I loved trivia and minutiae. Sometimes I didn't seem to fit in with the other stylists, but this was my moment to shine. I was most looking forward to working with Arielle. Mist was going to be interesting, but I didn't make the theme. They couldn't blame me for what was about to happen. I _did_ look forward to seeing Floki in costume. I quite enjoyed looking at his particular inspiration.

* * *

Ole Rodgers POV

Horses never kill people. That makes them better than a lot of humans. The ones in the Capitol were especiall majestic. As I was getting dressed, I looked at the three groups of horses. The ones assigned to One were golden Arabian horses with shiny fur and tinsel in their manes. The Two horses were gunmetal gray with sleek armor. Those two were at least natural, but the Four horses had to be Muttations. They were dark blue with sea green manes. I was glad that was at least a subtle muttation that wouldn't hurt them.

"Instead of riding in the chariot, can I ride the horse?" I asked Rouge as she finished my costume. She looked both ways and put on a fake straight face.

"Of course that's against the rules and I could _never_ recommend it. But if you didn't tell me beforehand, there would be nothing I could do," she said. She gave me a wink as subtle as a sledgehammer. If I ever needed a poker partner, I knew who _not_ to ask.

* * *

 **This would have been a really short chapter since there are only three Districts, so I added Ole. I saw in his form that he asked to ride the horses and saw this was a good place to add him in and pad the chapter.**


	10. Parade

Polyphemus Ignotus POV

"Good morning, Panem, and welcome to the Resurrection Parade! We've all heard the rumors that there will be some unexpected twists to this parade, and I, for one, can't wait much longer. All I can tell you is that there will be a theme this time. For the rest, we'll have to wait and see."

"There's our first twist! The Tributes are alone this year, each with their own personal chariot drawn by a single horse. Tritium is the first. He's wearing a one-piece suit that glows green, like some weird comet. He's holding a sword and his chariot is covered with a series of numbers and letters. I don't know what the theme is yet, but I'm sure the next Tributes will shed some light on the situation."

"Jynx's outfit is covered with all sorts of riffraff. He's dressed as a black cat, but there's a white 13 painted on his back. His chariot is paneled with mirrors, but they're all shattered. He has a toy dinosaur in his hand."

"Jynx's outfit made sense, I guess. Jynxes, maybe? But Rapture's dressed as a king, with a red robe and a huge crown. His chariot is covered in royal symbols and jewels. He's holding one of those skinny Asian swords. Is that part of the theme too? Tritium had a sword, but why did Jynx have a toy dinosaur?"

"Glaudius' stylists went for the simple approach. Other than a modest swimsuit bottom, his only covering is a layer of gold paint. His chariot is gold as well, and his... token, is it? Is a strange toy monster that looks a little like a crocodile. I don't get it."

"Charmaine looks like Jynx's opposite. There are four-leaf clovers painted on her cheeks and her chariot is stamped with horseshoes. She has her fingers crossed on one hand and the other is holding a toy scorpion. I don't think scorpions are very good luck."

"Victory looks to be enjoying herself, and I would too in her outfit. She has a pair of enourmous, feathery white wings, which billow out behind her. Her dress is a simple Greek toga and her hair is voluminous and feathery. Her chariot seems to be covered in blood, which mars the serenity slightly. The other thing that doesn't make sense is the machete she's carrying."

"Diamond is covered in diamonds. Finally a costume that makes sense. Her chariot is similarly decorated and she's holding a stuffed bat. There's supposed to be a theme here, right? Can someone help me out?"

"Olivine is covered in olivines. She's holding a knife. Oh... I'm so dense. Olivine... Diamond... Glaudius _Gold. There_ it is! That's brilliant! The stylists must have known all the costumes would look the same, so they did a name theme instead! Some of the costumes don't make much sense, but now at least I know what to look for. There you have it. You can't get _nothing_ past me."

"Chantal is wearing a white dress covered in musical notes. Her chariot is made out of musical instruments. Maybe Chantal means 'song'? It sounds like 'chant', I guess." She's holding a spear. I still don't know what that means."

"Priscilla is dressed in a Greek costume. It must be a Greek name. Her chariot is decorated like a really old stone wagon. She's holding this _freaky_ little doll with a creepy mask."

"We've reached District Two! Ash is covered in gray powder and his chariot is made of smoldering wood. Hah, because he's _Ash!_ His token is an axe. They've all been either weapons or model animals so far. It must mean _something."_

"Hunter is wearing camouflage and an orange hat, naturally, since he's a hunter. His chariot looks like an old-style truck. He's holding a stuffed bat just like Diamond. They _were_ in the same Games. Perhaps that's part of the pattern."

"Oh, I know this one! Troy is a Trojan! His chariot looks like a wooden horse and he'd wearing traditional Trojan battle garb. He's holding a knife, like some of the others. So we have knives, swords, an axe, those bats, and that freaky guy. What do those have in common?"

"'Akari' must mean light, since her outfit is so bright I can't see her. Her chariot is covered with rainbow lights that fill the entire room. She's holding a mace. First one so far."

"Ava has gray wings and feathers all over her body. Like 'aviary', I guess? Her chariot is fashioned to look like an eagle with outstretched wings. Her token is a sword, like some of the others."

"I thought 'Mary' was a boring and old-fashioned name, so I don't know why Mary Ellen is dressed so dramatically. She's wearing a black leather jacket and pants and her hair is spiked. Her chariot is jagged and fierce-looking. What's this? She's not holding anything, but her hand is covered in blood. This keeps getting stranger."

"Steel must have made things easier for them. She's covered in sleek hammered sheets or steel, and her chariot is the same. She's holding a knife. We've been seeing a lot of those."

"They took a little liberty with Odeda. As I recall, the Swan Princess' name was _Odette._ Odeda's lovely white dress has a swan head curled around her neck, and her chariot is festooned in white feathers. For her prop, she carries a spear."

"'Charlotte' must mean 'fight' or something. Lottie is wearing a fierce Amazon-style warrior outfit. Her chariot is hardly decorated. It looks like a normal war chariot. Her token is... what on Earth? She's carrying an apple core. That's not a weapon."

"Is Cierra dressed as a... mountain? Her hair is covered with snow and there are rocks around her feet. She definitely got the worst of this. Her chariot is decorated with grass and stone, and she's also carrying a sword."

"I got _no_ idea what 'Aversa' means, and neither did the stylist. Instead, she and her chariot are decorated with jewels. She's holding a much more conventional sword."

"Venus was a godsend for the stylists. Her chariot is a delicate seashell and Venus is a lovely offering. Modesty had demanded that her hair be pasted over her bosom, and she protects the rest of her secrets with her hands, one of which holds a spear."

"Finally, we have Four. Orren must be a ghost or something. He's covered in white powder, and his chariot is bone-white, too. Here's another new one for our collection. He's holding a little scarecrow."

"Whyte was easy enough. He and his chariot are... white. The only thing _not_ white are his cheeks. He seems to be dying of embarrassment. I would be too, if my token was a _chair."_

"Ole's in the same boat as Whyte. His chariot is modeled after a baby carriage and he's dressed in nothing but a bonnet and a diaper. I can't make this up, and I _do_ wish I wasn't seeing it. At least his token is a simple sword."

"Floki is a gift to the ladies of Panem. He has on an ornate golden helmet with long, curving horns. His long, flowing coat has a lovely emerald and gold sheen and his high boots are oh-so-shiny. He's holding a stuffed bird, one more mystery for our riddle."

I was wondering how they'd do Tallulah. They went with 'sandpiper' instead, and she's dressed as a bird. What is that? She's holding a statue of... Orren! Why would she- _because Orren killed her._ That's it! That was it this whole time!

"Oh sorry, there's Kaliana. She's covered in lovely face paint that makes her look like an otherwordly nymph. Her chariot is covered in delicate watercolor patterns. I don't know what 'Kaliana' means, but I want to see more. She's holding a water bottle. But wait! It's empty! She must have died of dehydration."

"Marley is dressed as... a man? Her name means 'man'? That's funny. Her chariot looks like a reclining man, which she obviously finds hilarious. Her last Games wasn't that long ago, so I remember how she died. Elver killed her with an axe and that's what she's carrying."

"I can't even see Mist. She and her chariot are covered with a thick cloud of, well, _mist._ Some sort of liquid is dribbling a trail behind her. Oh, that's right. She drank gasoline. No one light a match!"

"Last we have Arielle. I've been looking forward to her since I figured everything out. She has not disappointed. Her hair is bright red and she's wearing a seashell bra. She's the only one sitting down, since she's wearing fins. Her chariot looks like a clamshell and she's carrying the same Asian sword Rapture had earlier."

"And just like that, it's over. What a ride, folks, what a ride. Twists, turns, mysteries, riddles... I couldn't have asked for more. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, but I'm not sure that's possible. Here's to a great parade and an even greater Games!"

* * *

 **Did you figure it out before Polyphemus? I suppose so, since he's pretty slow on the uptake. In hindsight, I should have checked the names to see how many didn't match up exactly. I had to look up the etymology for a lot of names, and some of them were difficult. 'Orren', for example, means 'pale'.**


	11. Training of Sorts

**We got one more addition! Please welcome Nadia Nette!**

* * *

Nadia Nette POV

 _Did I win?_ I was in a hospital bed in the Capitol. There was a Capitolite man by my bedside, which was a little weird. He was watching me while I was sleeping. Gross.

"Good morning," the man said.

"It's done, right?" I asked. I pushed the blankets aside and stood up. The man looked concerned and stood up next to me.

"Careful, you just got up," he said.

"It's okay. It's all over now. I won," I said.

"You didn't win. You died," the man said. My head snapped toward him and my heart flipped. What was that supposed to mean? I was a ghost? This was the afterlife? The room tilted around me and me knees smacked into the floor. I barely caught myself before my head splatted against the tiles.

"Are you all right? I told you you should have stayed in bed," the man said. Two nurses came in and scooped me back into bed.

"I'm dead," I whispered. The man was saying something about another Games, but I wasn't listening. I didn't think anything could be worse than the Games, but I was wrong.

* * *

Akari Igneous POV

Someone knocked on my door. When I answered, a woman silently handed me an envelope and left. I opened it to find a typed letter.

 _Miss Igneous,_

 _I do hope you're pleased to have been selected to participate in my latest project. Most of the entrants were chosen by a panel of gamemakers. I intervened in only one case: yours. Of course I watched your first performance carefully, and I noted a number of promising characteristics. You are resourceful, driven, merciless, pragmatic, and flawlessly self-controlled, traits valuable for both Tributes and rulers. I was surprised you didn't win, and I suspect things may end differently this time. Of course I musn't intervene, and of course you wouldn't want me to, but I don't think I'll have to. I do hope you return and I hope this is only the beginning of a fruitful relationship._

The note was signed, in sparse cursive, "Luperca Galba". I hadn't expected it, and it certainly gave me a boost of confidence. If I didn't already have a token- a black ball from my sisters- I would have taken it into the Arena with me. It seemed I had friends in high places, and I didn't want to disappoint them.

* * *

Rapture Kai POV

It was going to be a madhouse in the Training Room. Usually the Careers only practiced what they already knew and tried to intimidate the outliers. This time we were all Careers. It was practically a waste of time. I knew I'd spent most of my training time goofing off with Diamond. We didn't have much time together, and I wanted to make the most of it.

When we got to the training room, there was a single man standing in the center. The stations looked sparser than usual, and there weren't any attendants manning them. We all murmured to each other as we sat in three rows of chairs.

"Welcome, Tributes. As you can see, things are a little different this year. All of you are already highly trained in weaponry and fighting, so more training would be redundant. If you wish to refine or practice your skills, the Training Room facilities are available to you. If you wish to learn another skill, tell me and I will arrange for a top-notch tutor. A general class on attracting sponsors is also available. Finally, should you be confident in your skills or wish to spend more time with your mentor, you need not participate in training at all," the man said.

 _Now we're talking._ I'd be happy to just prowl tha Games center with Diamond until the fighting started. She might say we should use our time more productively, though. She was always so practical. If she did, I'd make the best of it. I'd keep trying to distract her, of course. All work and no play is no way to live.

* * *

Steel Keshmin POV

"You're going to want to train, of course," Pray said as we discussed strategy in my room. I _had_ been planning to, but something about her tone didn't sit right with me.

"Why?" I asked. She smiled.

"The Careers have changed a bit since you last fought. It's not like the Academy. These girls trained night and day to do nothing but kill," she said.

"What, and I never trained?" I asked. Did she take me on out of _pity?_ We didn't sit around eating donuts at the Academy. We were Panem's finest, trained to keep the peace and take down anyone who was a threat.

"Sure, you trained. You trained to hold a gun and tighten handcuffs. There aren't any guns in the Games," Pray said. When I'd first seen the other Tributes, I _had_ been intimidated. But I wasn't anymore. I was just mad. Peacekeepers put their lives on the line to keep people like her safe, even if she didn't need it. She was disrespecting everything I'd worked all my life for, and I'd had enough.

I stomped to the door and stood in front of it. It was a standard metal door with two sets of sturdy hinges and no visible lock. Pray was about to make some comment, probably about me running away, when I made my move. I raised my leg at the knee and slammed it into the door between the two sets of hinges. There was a splintering crack as the force tore the drywall beside the door and the door crashed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. I whirled around and glared at Pray, whose eyebrows had raised even when her body hadn't.

"Well poor little weakling me. What _am_ I going to do?"

* * *

 **Training would be pretty redundant for this group, so you get some more input. Your Tributes can learn a skill- anything from basket weaving to semaphore. They can go to the sponsorship class and learn how to get more sponsors, since sponsors usually favor Careers but this time they're all Careers. They can practice or pick up a new skill in the conventional training room, or they can goof off and get their screentime in the general Games Building. Anything to shake up the usual formula and keep things fresh.**


	12. Training

**Boy, was I confused. Orren was in Two and Tally in Four. They were only allies, not partners.**

* * *

Troy Cahill POV

At first I was responsible. I went to the training room and studied medication, just in case I got injured or needed to care for an ally. I tried to learn how to use a crossbow, but I got distracted by Venus and Akari. Ostensibly they were practicing throwing knives, but really they were seeing how close they could get to the attendants without hitting them. As the poor attendants dodged and dove under tables, the head attendant threw them out. After that I was pretty much done and left the room to do some goofing off.

I should have known I'd get recognized right away. I'd already been on television once before, and people remembered Careers. A Capitolite boy with a face full of piercings walked by and did a double take when he noticed me.

"Are you _Troy Cahill?_ Man, you're so total! Can I have an autograph? Can you, like, write in on my arm with your sword?" he asked.

"I don't have it on me right now," I said. "But hey, could you show me around the building? I'm looking to do some partying." The boy's face lit up like fireworks.

"No way! Yeah, come on!" he said. He showed me the Games museum where they kept all the Victors' weapons and all sorts of artifacts. He tried to convince me to get a design at the branding pavilion, but I declined. I had unsavory memories about fire. Somewhere along the line, I learned his name was Ajax.

"I saved the best for last," Ajax said. We took a glass elevator to the roof and he led me to a fenced-off balcony. A man was standing on it sweeping a broom back and forth.

"Hey, we're closed for the night," the man said. I saw a rope coiled next to an iron loop set into the floor and realized what was going on.

"Are you closed for _Troy Cahill?"_ Ajax asked. The man dropped his broom and looked closer at me in the dimming light.

" _What?_ Oh, sorry, sir. Of course I can serve _you._ And no charge for you and your friend," he said. Ajax obviously didn't think I would have any problem bungee jumping, and I didn't. I might never see him again after this day, but I'd remember it for the rest of my life.

I went first, and the man strapped me into a harness. I looked up at the dark sky, leaned back, and felt my blood rush as the world fell apart under me.

* * *

Floki Grimm POV

I wasn't really going to get any better in the Training Room. I was more interested in getting to know my ally better. If we formed a good relationship before the Games began, our alliance would be stronger in the Arena.

I found Whyte in the Training Room being responsible and quickly tempted him away. We saw the sights and explored all the amusements in the Capitol building, from the Victors' Hall to the random zoo in the middle of the building. As boys, we could not deny our nature, and when we stopped for lunch we started a spicy chicken wing duel. It culminated in a very hastily arranged milk chugging duel, and we retreated back to my room after picking up some choice libations. It was difficult for them to refuse us when Whyte is technically like thirty years old.

When we reached my room, we picked a random Games recording and started it up. It turned out to be the Twenty-Fourth, and we set up some rules.

"Sip every time Venus throws a knife," I said as I poured out shots.

"Sip when a Mutt comes," Whyte said.

"Chug when two Careers argue," I said.

"Drain the glass when Venus gets it," Whyte said. Normally I didn't celebrate death, exactly, but there was something about Venus. Death felt natural on her.

By the time we reached the finale I'd forgotten who won, which made it all the more exciting. We drained our final glasses and cheered mightily as Peppermint rose victorious.

"How about we just stay down here for a while," I said as we lay sacked out on the floor.

"That sounds good," Whyte said. He noticed a ball of string by my couch and picked it up.

"What's this?" he slurred. I picked it up.

"That? It's my knitting," I said. I clumsily mimed knitting a row.

"Knitting? What, you a pansy?" Whyte said.

"It's for my little girl. See? It's little booties. She's gonna be so cute," I said. I draped a half-finished bootie over my finger.

"That's pretty neat. I wish _I_ could knit," Whyte said.

"I can show you," I said.

Hours later, after I was finally sober, I looked at the pile of knots I'd created and wondered what the heck I had taught Whyte.

* * *

Cierra Daline POV

Steel's stance was perfect. She just kept hitting at the knees and shoulders of the target.

"You're not going to kill anyone like that. Do it like this," I said, and I stabbed my sword into a mannequin's chest.

"Yeah, you're right," she said. She hesitantly swatted at the mannequin's head.

"Wow. You sure showed him," I said.

"I'm sorry. I'm just supposed to serve and protect, you know? It's weird actually trying to kill people," Steel said. She looked so disappointed I tried to cheer her up.

"You're really good at other stuff, though. You know all about leadership and tactics. You're just more of a sergeant than a fighter," I said.

"I'm going to have to be both in the Games," she said. I never would have told her, but I was a little glad she was so hesitant. I never could have betrayed an ally, but if someone else killed her and she couldn't fight back, I wouldn't have to. I'd stay with her and protect her as long as I could, but I had to be prepared for an eventual end.

"Pretend everyone else is an enemy. They're criminals or something, and if you don't kill them they're going to kill a bunch of hostages," I said. The very thought made Steel stiffen, and she glared at the mannequin with righteous fury. She gripped her sword in both hands and swung it so hard the dummy's head went flying off.

"Serve and protect, even if you're protecting yourself," I said. It occurred to me that encouraging Steel like that definitely was _not_ helping myself, but I was just glad to be helping a friend. It was a big mistake volunteering for the Games, but I was stuck with it now. All I could do was make the best of it. If I didn't win, I wanted someone to win who deserved it, and Steel definitely did. She was the only one of us who honestly wanted to improve herself and help others. She shouldn't have been here at all, and she was the only one who would make Panem a better place by winning. I fervently hoped we weren't the final two. I didn't know what I'd do.

* * *

Arielle Ermin POV

I spent the first days training tirelessly. I practiced every move and honed every skill I had. I watched clips of group fighting and enlisted two assistants to help me master multiple opponents. I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

On the final day of training, I decided to do something different. I could have used a little extra help, so I popped into the sponsorship class to see what was going on. It was pretty deserted, so the handful that showed up were either a lot wiser or a lot dumber than the others.

To my surprise, it was led by a Capitol woman who looked more like an escort than a trainer. She was all dolled up in all the Capitol gewgaws and powders, and she spoke to us like we were prized pets, not gladiators.

"Good morning, students. I'm Andromeda and I'll be teaching you how to gain sponsors. I've drawn up a series of tips just for you," she said. She picked up a stylus and started writing on the wall just like an old-fashioned whiteboard.

"Tip number one: be interesting. We don't want to donate to a boring, uninteresting Tribute. We see the same quiet, uninspiring Tributes every year. We want someone with pizazz, someone with style!"

 _Yeah, it's not like half the Tributes are boring because they're starving,_ I thought.

"Tip number two: be grateful. We love seeing a Tribute's face light up when they get a gift. Poker faces are for fights, not presents," the woman continued. _See, I_ would _have gotten you a crust of bread, but you didn't smile enough when I sent you that water, so y'all can starve,_ I thought.

"Tip number three: make us feel included. If you don't like the weapon we sent, try it anyway. You may find you like it after all," the woman continued. _I've never used a crossbow before, but I simply_ must _try it before I give up. I'll just go attack that alliance twice my size. Gotta be grateful!_

Tip number four was probably really something. Unfortunately, I left before I could hear it. I'm such a terrible Tribute. Entirely ungrateful.

* * *

 **I guess it's a good thing most of the Tributes skipped sponsoring class.**

 **I don't know if everyone can see the requested alliances back in the Tribute list, so here they are:**

 **Steel would like an alliance with Olivine**

 **Floki would like to ally with Hunter and Priscilla**

 **Marley would like to ally with Olivine**

 **Camille wants to ally with Chantal but will take someone else**

 **Looking back, I'm not sure Cierra and Steel are officially allies. If either party refuses, Cierra is just helping Steel because she's nice and wants friends.**


	13. Alliances

**This time I wrote a few POVs of Tributes in alliances before they were solidified. I didn't write all the meetings because of that. Tritium is not currently allied but I wrote his because I didn't get his training info until after I wrote the chapter.**

 **NOTE: Is Olivine's submitter here or did she get submitted by someone else?**

* * *

Aversa Jewel POV

I needed some groupies. I hated being just one of the crowd. I needed someone who would make me look better. Someone I knew I could beat in the end. Of course, that was everyone, but I didn't need to strain myself.

The first one I knew I wanted to ally with was Venus. Frankly, I wanted to be on her good side, since she was really scary. She was allied with another girl, so I'd ask if I could join later. Her other ally also looked strong, so I needed someone to balance them out. I didn't want anyone to think I was the weak link in the alliance. I needed an ally who would be the first target in a breakup, so I could run while they killed her.

Arielle seemed like a logical choice. Nothing about her Games impressed me, and she didn't have the skills I had. I found her sitting with the loud girl from Four. They were joking around and laughing. What a waste of time. I took a seat next to them.

"I'm looking for allies. You interested?" I asked. They looked up at the interruption and stopped their joking. The other girl frowned.

"Is anyone else-" she started.

"Not you," I broke in. She pulled her head back and cocked it. I turned away and looked at Arielle, who looked at the other girl and back at me.

"Oh, how could I say no?" she said. "You just have _so_ many skills." The other girl looked at her with horror and Arielle shrugged.

"Good choice. I'll find us some more," I said. I left to find Venus and her ally. Arielle and her friend started whispering as soon as my back was turned, and soon they were laughing again. Seems I'd made a good choice.

* * *

Tritium Paine POV

My time in the Games had changed me all over, but so many of my fellow competitors stayed the same. That's why I wound up in a psychology class, trying to understand them. It felt weird learning about the human mind from a Capitolite man whose own seemed entirely different from mine, but maybe he wasn't as nutty as he looked.

Probably the most important thing I learned was rationalization. It's easy to think of people as either good or evil. Really, we all think we're the good guy and the hero of the story. That's why some people find it so easy to kill other people. They say it's not _really_ killing, for whatever reason. More often, they say it's because the people they killed aren't _really_ people. People love to categorize. It's always "us" and "them", and "they" aren't worth as much as "us". It's okay to kill "them". For most Careers, there were Careers and cannon fodder. When there were only Careers left, there was the main character and the side characters. It's obvious who's the most important, and who can't die, even if that means killing other people.

What I most wanted to learn was body language and nonverbal communication. I never saw it coming when my allies killed me. This time around, I wanted to know what they thought of me. The instructor talked about "microexpressions", but said they're too inconsistent and most people just end up with false positives. He said a better way to gauge intent was with a few simple tests. Most people add uneccesary details when they lie, and they tend to shift their gaze. Perversely, man people act vulnerable before they attack. They try to goad you into attacking first so they can have the moral high ground.

All the lessons seemed so esoteric and theoretical. It was hard to imagine using them out in the field. But the most important part of a fight is knowing your enemy. After all I'd been through, I didn't really want to kill anyone else. But it was the only way I could get home. The instructor was right about at least one thing. I was already rationalizing, and it was easier than I'd ever imagined.

* * *

Whyte Roberts POV

I didn't want to miss Vera. I wanted to be mad at her. But everything seemed to remind me of her. I'd turn to point out a ridiculous Capitol hairdo, and she wasn't there. There were so many jokes and pranks she was missing out on. I felt like peanut butter without the jelly.

I had to stop moping around. I wasn't just Vera's friend. I was my own person. I could be whatever I wanted. I could totally reinvent myself if I pleased. I didn't want to go that far, but maybe I _would_ change a few things. I needed to kick up my game if I was going to last with only other Careers. I'd never wanted to be too brutal around Vera. She was about the only one who liked me, and I didn't want to scare her off. I didn't have to worry about that with Floki. There probably wasn't anything that would gross him out. I wasn't going to go all bloodthirsty Career, but I didn't have to pull back, either.

I was starting to realize I didn't have to prove anything or please anyone. I could be me, as unpalatable as most people found that. I could be my erratic and hyper self. I didn't have to stay chained down to a Career camp. If Floki and I didn't end up allying with anyone else, we could move around all over. We'd _have_ to, since we'd be one of the smaller alliances.

I'd been through two Games with Vera. This one was going to be entirely different, and it was sort of exciting. Anything could happen. In the best-case scenario, I'd win this one and she'd win hers, and then we could be together again. Until then, I would enjoy finding out more about me, myself, and I.

* * *

Odeda Titan POV

I hadn't seen much of Akari since we all got resurrected. She spent most of her time with Quora, watching older Games and studying them. I was surprised when she came up to me.

"The pack is sort of messed up, since we're all Careers, but Venus and I are allying. We're trying to get the strongest of the Careers. Are you interested?" she asked. I had planned to go it alone, but she was on to something. There may not be one clear Career pack this time, but there were sure to be a lot of alliances. Any loners were likely to be the first targets.

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea," I said. It probably wouldn't last long, but a little security wouldn't hurt. I didn't trust Akari, and I definitely didn't trust Venus. I'd wait until the alliances were starting to break up and I'd leave. I preferred to work alone, and as soon as it was safe I would.

It was going to be good to be on the hunting side of things. Instead of constantly looking over my shoulder for the others, I could seek them out and kill them myself. That was the best part of the Games. I was almost happy I died the first time, since it meant I got a chance to do it twice. If something got messed up and I died again, it was nice to know I could come back for a third sweep. I could keep killing and killing for as long as Panem existed. It was like I'd already won.

* * *

 **ALLIANCE POSTINGS:**

 **Troy: With Steel, seeking Olivine**

 **Aversa: With Akari and Venus**

 **Cierra: With Steel**

 **Floki: With Whyte, seeking Hunter and Priscilla**

 **Marley: Seeking Olivine**

 **Lottie: Allying with Marley**

 **Ole: Seeking anyone**

 **Tally: Seeking anyone**

 **Sometimes it's hard for me to tell if an alliance is agreed on by both sides, so if something is wrong tell me and I'll change it.**


	14. More Alliances

**Is primaryfocus following this story? Olivine has alliance requests, and if her original submitter isn't here, I'll respond to the requests. If she is, she of course gets first pick.**

* * *

Lottie Parker POV

Most of the other Tributes were eating lunch, but I had to stay in the Training Room. This was no time for fooling around. I had to get in shape if I had any chance of winning. I'd already heard the people around the Capitol talking about how surprised they were that I'd killed two people in my Games. They didn't have to be so surprised. I wasn't _that_ out of shape. The people back home said the same thing when I volunteered. They may have been right about me dying, but I wasn't as much of a failure as they made me out to be.

"Wow, that's a really heavy-looking sword. I probably couldn't even lift that," the only other Tribute in the room said. I'd seen her around talking with the other girls, and she seemed nice. So many of the other Tributes were so moody and boring.

"Thanks. I like knowing I could smash just about anything I want, you know?" I said. I put the sword down for a break. I'd talk to a tree if there was no one around.

"I'm Marley. You're Lottie, right? I saw your Games," she said. Most Careers spent a lot of time studying past Games, and for most Careers, past Games would include mine.

"I was actually hoping you were looking for allies. Some of these Careers are wet blankets. Almost all of us are going to die, and I'd rather be with allies I actually like," Marley said.

"Oh my goodness, I know, right? I want to win and all, but you don't have to be so depressing. That sounds super fun. We can have girl talk," I said.

"Great!" Marley and I high-fived. "I'm hoping I can get my old ally Olivine back, too. I saw the tape of my last Games and she totally lost it on the guy that killed me."

"That sounds cool. The more the merrier," I said. None of us could forget that this was a life and death situation, but we'd trained for it so long that it seemed normal. Life finds a way, even in the Hunger Games. In the end, some girls just want to have fun.

* * *

Ole Rodgers POV

 _"Things haven't been the same since my brothers death a few months ago."_

I'd expected my parents to be dead, but not Lir. It seemed like yesterday that I'd lost Hatchet, and now the rest of my family was following. I was losing everything from my past, and it was like drifting without an anchor.

I didn't want to know any of my competitors. I wanted them to be faceless and nameless so it would be easier to get back to my family without guilt. It felt like the only thing I could do for Hatchet now would be to win for both of us. She was so excited to start training. If she'd only made it to eighteen, or even seventeen, she'd already be a Vicotr.

I tried to stay clear of the other Careers, but they still found me in the end. I recognized Tallulah right away. We all remembered watching what happened to her, and it turned my stomach to think of it. She was a Career like the rest of us, but they were so primitive back then. It was still like watching a normal girl get torn apart. Really, the fact that she was trained didn't make it any less horrible. She was sitting at a table in front of an untouched plate of food. She was looking at the boy who killed her, and he looked back at her almost dispassionately. I could see how nervous she was even from across the room.

It couldn't be avoided. I saw the fear in her and it brought me right back to Hatchet. I couldn't bear it, and I crossed the room to sit next to her.

"You okay?" I asked.

"It's nothing," she said quickly. I knew she must feel inadequate and defensive around Careers so much more trained than she was. She didn't want to look weak. Her voice was even, but her hands were shaking under the table.

I couldn't believe what I was about to say. My logical mind fought with my soul, but I was what I was. I couldn't deny my nature.

"Most of us are teaming up. I haven't found anyone yet. If you're interested, we could stick together for a while," I said. Her face lit up and I hoped I didn't regret it too much. _Just until the Bloodbath,_ I told myself. _I can't get attached. I have to get home. She'll probably die anyway. Just the first day. No more._

* * *

Camille Bouchanere POV

I was itching to fight. I kept imagining the Bloodbath and how much chaotic fun it was going to be. There was only one problem. Chaos, as fun as it was, could be dangerous. It would be suicide to charge in without support, and I _did_ intend to charge in. Therefore, I needed support.

I didn't care who I allied with. I just needed someone who would stick with me long enough to get some weapons. If they were dumb enough to stay with me after that, I'd take whatever they had to offer and get out when they'd outlived their usefulness. I only wished I knew more of the other Tributes. Some Games had three or four Tributes revived. I was the only one from mine.

The most obvious choice was Arielle's alliance. Arielle put on a tough face, but I could tell she was kind-hearted underneath. She'd never have the nerve to stab me in the back, but there wasn't a back on Earth _I_ wouldn't stab. Her other ally was a little fiercer, but she wasn't as tough as she looked.

My other first inclination was to shack up with Ole and his side piece. I'd never met a man I couldn't charm, and surely I could have Ole around my finger in no time. The other girl would serve as a shield, and Ole and I could have fun until we had to split up. He wouldn't have to worry about heartbreak, because I'd cut out his heart.

The other alliances had their advantages and disadvantages. The only one I knew I didn't want was Akari, Odeda and Venus. They were as dangerous as they looked and they'd kill me for no reason, much less the many I'd give them.

I didn't know who I was joining yet, but I did know this: whatever alliance ended up with me was in for a world of trouble.

* * *

 **If you want a faceclaim for the blog, you can send one to me or to the forum. If you're not good with that sort of thing, I can find one based on the descriptions in the forms.**


	15. Evaluations

**I change things up whenever I can to ward off dullness in formulaic pre-Games chapters. Since the Careers have already trained and been observed, conventional Private Sessions would be redundant. Instead the Gamemakers evaluated a number of factors that go into making a Victor.**

* * *

HEAD GAMEMAKER TITIAN QIN

OFFICIAL HUNGER GAMES REPORT

DISTRICTS ONE, TWO AND FOUR

* * *

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES COMPRISED OF (PLACINGS, OPPONENTS, ANALYSIS OF BATTLE)

WEAPONS SKILLS COMPRISED OF (ANALYSIS OF TRAINING)

LIKEABILITY: COMPRISED OF (ATTRACTIVENESS, GREGARIOUSNESS, REACTION TO SPONSOR GIFTS, HOME LIFE, RELATIONSHIPS)

CONFIDENCE: COMPRISED OF (SURVEILLANCE, INTERVIEWS WITH MENTORS) CONFIDENCE HIGHER THAN SEVEN OR LOWER THAN FOUR RESULTS IN DEDUCTION OF POINTS

RUTHLESSNESS: COMPRISED OF (NUMBER OF KILLS, SAVAGERY OF KILLS)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: COMPRISED OF (INTELLIGENCE TESTS, REACTION TO DEATH AND RESURRECTION, MENTAL IMBALANCES, CRUELTY)

RESOURCEFULNESS: COMPRISED OF (ANALYSIS OF PREVIOUS PERFORMANCE)

* * *

DISTRICT ONE MALES

TRITIUM PAINE

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 6

WEAPONS SKILLS: 9

LIKEABILITY: 5

CONFIDENCE: 9 (-2)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 9

RUTHLESSNESS: 7

RESOURCEFULNESS: 7

TOTAL: 41

ANALYSIS: Tritium's behavior since Resurrection indicates his attitudes toward the Games have changed significantly. He is more withdrawn and less overtly confident.

COMMENTS: Someone learned a bit too late.

* * *

JYNX SUSURRUS

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 8

WEAPONS SKILLS: 9

LIKEABILITY: 7

CONFIDENCE: 6

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 10

RUTHLESSNESS: 5

RESOURCEFULNESS: 5

TOTAL: 44

ANALYSIS: Jynx has a strange bond with his rival Victory Amarinthine. He is also more solitary than most Careers.

COMMENTS: Can there be a Games with just 24 of you? Shirtless?

* * *

RAPTURE KAI

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: (5, 9*)

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 6

CONFIDENCE: 10 (-3)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 7

RUTHLESSNESS: 10

RESOURCEFULNESS: 5

TOTAL: 40

ANALYSIS: Rapture is likely to stay with his sister Diamond until the end. If they are the final two, Gamemaker intervention will likely be necessary to determine a winner.

COMMENTS: You never won yet. I don't think you ever will.

* * *

GLAUDIUS GOLD

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 9 (-2*)

WEAPONS SKILLS: 6

LIKEABILITY: 9

CONFIDENCE: 4

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 7

RUTHLESSNESS: 2

RESOURCEFULNESS: 9

TOTAL: 39

ANALYSIS: Glaudius' skill with a sword is masterful. Points were deducted due to his comparative lack of training with other Careers. Glaudius exhibits signs of depression exacerbated by his resurrection and the loss of family members since his death.

COMMENTS: You were a big fish in a small pond. It got a lot bigger since you died.

* * *

DISTRICT ONE FEMALES

CHARMAINE VALE

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 5

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 10

CONFIDENCE: 2

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 7

RUTHLESSNESS: 2

RESOURCEFULNESS: 5

TOTAL: 37

ANALYSIS: Charmaine lacks the drive found in most Careers. Her mental state has been negatively impacted by PTSD and depression over her mother's death and failure to make her proud. Charmaine is a likely first target for stronger Careers, who may or may not be underestimating her.

COMMENTS: That sucks. You just wanted to make Momma proud.

* * *

VICTORY AMARINTHINE

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 9

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 9

CONFIDENCE: 7

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 9

RUTHLESSNESS: 5

RESOURCEFULNESS: 4

TOTAL: 44

ANALYSIS: Victory and Jynx will be a strong alliance. Victory may not take this as seriously as Jynx, which could lead to friction. Victory is likely to gain a large following of sponsors.

COMMENTS: That was totally hilarious what happened last time, but I kind of like you. Better luck?

* * *

DIAMOND KAI

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: (8, 5)

WEAPONS SKILLS: 9

LIKEABILITY: 8

CONFIDENCE: 4

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 7

RUTHLESSNESS: 7

RESOURCEFULNESS: 5

TOTAL: 43.5

ANALYSIS: Diamond is not expected to outlive Rapture. Her protectiveness and lack of risk-taking support this hypothesis. If Rapture does die before Diamond, her performance is expected to be average.

COMMENTS: You're a real good sister.

* * *

OLIVINE MARTINEZ

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 8

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 7

CONFIDENCE: 7

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 9

RUTHLESSNESS: 7

RESOURCEFULNESS: 8

TOTAL: 47

ANALYSIS: Olivine is mildly impacted by PTSD brought on by her burns. Her low placing in her previous Games was offset by the quick thinking and perseverence she demonstrated during the fire.

COMMENTS: I always liked you.

* * *

CHANTAL IVINGING

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: (7, 8)

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 7

CONFIDENCE: 7

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 10

RUTHLESSNESS: 7

RESOURCEFULNESS: 4

TOTAL: 39.5

ANALYSIS: Chantal has been steadily improving. If she continues at her current rate, her chances of victory are high.

COMMENTS: You're just like your scores. Average.

* * *

PRISCILLA PISCOT

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 9

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 10

CONFIDENCE: 6

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 9

RUTHLESSNESS: 3

RESOURCEFULNESS: 5

TOTAL: 43

ANALYSIS: Priscilla's previously unmarred mental state has been damaged by the loss of her brother. This will affect all statistics. The loss of her optimism will affect sponsorship and confidence.

COMMENTS: That is low. _I_ voted for Miall, for what it's worth.

* * *

DISTRICT TWO MALES

ASH SMITH

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 2

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 7

CONFIDENCE: 7

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 10

RUTHLESSNESS: 7

RESOURCEFULNESS: 5

TOTAL: 38

ANALYSIS: Ash's early death means he does not have the exhaustion and weariness many resurrected Tributes have toward the Games. He had no time to become worn down.

COMMENTS: I see a repeat.

* * *

HUNTER DUBCHEN

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: (7, 9)

WEAPONS SKILLS: 9

LIKEABILITY: 7

CONFIDENCE: 6

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 6

RUTHLESSNESS: 4

RESOURCEFULNESS: 9

TOTAL: 43

ANALYSIS: Hunter is more adaptable than many Careers, as seen by his previous alliances. His experience in his most recent Games have rendered him slightly agoraphobic. Hunter will perform much better in daylight.

COMMENTS: _That_ was a raw deal. Still makes me sick to my stomach.

* * *

TROY CAHILL

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 8

WEAPONS SKILLS: 9

LIKEABILITY: 7

CONFIDENCE: 7

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 8

RUTHLESSNESS: 7

RESOURCEFULNESS: 5

TOTAL: 44

ANALYSIS: Troy is one of a few Tributes whose mental wellbeing improved after their previous Games. Troy has become more relaxed and this will make him more adaptable in the Arena. It may, however, detrimentally affect his reaction times.

COMMENTS: Good thing none of the Tributes are named Achilles this year.

* * *

ORREN DAPHNE

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 9

WEAPONS SKILLS: 9

LIKEABILITY: 0

CONFIDENCE: INAPPLICABLE

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 2

RUTHLESSNESS: 10

RESOURCEFULNESS: 3

TOTAL: 33

ANALYSIS: Orren is not to be allowed to win. For the sake of morale in Panem, Orren will be terminated if it appears he may be victorious. The Games have destroyed his mind and it is not anticipated he will make it far. He was only given two points in psychological state because he is functional, which makes him better than Mist.

COMMENTS: That's creepier than Barley.

* * *

DISTRICT TWO FEMALES

AKARI IGNEOUS

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 8

WEAPONS SKILLS: 9

LIKEABILITY: 7

CONFIDENCE: 8 (-1)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 7

RUTHLESSNESS: 10

RESOURCEFULNESS: 5

TOTAL: 45

ANALYSIS: Akari exhibits flashbacks and bouts of pseudo-narcolepsy. She bears fervent hatred toward the District Two males. She is skilled at distancing herself from her emotions, which will be an advantage. Her past is full of traumatic events that may hinder her.

COMMENTS: I think you might be the one. But anything can happen.

* * *

AVARIELLA HANSON

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: (7, 8)

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 9

CONFIDENCE: 5

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 5

RUTHLESSNESS: 2

RESOURCEFULNESS: 8

TOTAL: 39.5

ANALYSIS: Avariella's anorexia is her largest weakness. She has maintained her weight since resurrection. Her selflessness and reverence for life will hinder her. She is likely to get many sponsors, but she may not make use of their offerings.

COMMENTS: I wish you could see how pretty you are.

* * *

MARY ELLEN WESTLEY

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 6

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 4

CONFIDENCE: 10 (-3)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 7

RUTHLESSNESS: 10

RESOURCEFULNESS: 8

TOTAL: 40

ANALYSIS: Mary Ellen's behavior indicates high levels of psycopathic tendencies. She prefers brutality over efficiency in her kills. She is not expected to win.

COMMENTS: Served you right.

* * *

STEEL KESHMIN

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 8

WEAPONS SKILLS: 7

LIKEABILITY: 10

CONFIDENCE: 5

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 9

RUTHLESSNESS: 1

RESOURCEFULNESS: 9

TOTAL: 44

ANALYSIS: Steel's unwavering loyalty to the Capitol will gain her sponsors. Her Peacekeeper philosophy will help her survive, but it will not help her kill. Her mental state is much better than most due to her bond with peacekeeper philosophy, but she is also suggestible and idealistic.

COMMENTS: You're not like the others. They won't like that.

* * *

ODEDA TITAN

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 7

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIEKABILITY: 6

CONFIDENCE: 10 (-3)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 7

RUTHLESSNESS: 9

RESOURCEFULNESS: 4

TOTAL: 37

ANALYSIS: Odeda is grossly overconfident. An early death is expected.

COMMENTS: Time for Odeda's swan song.

* * *

LOTTIE PARKER

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 5

WEAPONS SKILLS: 9

LIKEABILITY: 9

CONFIDENCE: 6

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 10

RUTHLESSNESS: 6

RESOURCEFULNESS: 3

TOTAL: 42

ANALYSIS: Lottie is as likely to die naturally as from violence. She is unable to prioritize and the others will attack her swiftly. Her inability to provide food for herself in her previous Games indicates incompetency.

COMMENTS: Oink.

* * *

AVERSA JEWEL

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 6

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 4

CONFIDENCE: 9 (-2)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 8

RUTHLESSNESS: 9

RESOURCEFULNESS: 4

TOTAL: 33

ANALYSIS: Aversa is repellent and will alienate the others. She is overconfident and is likely to pick a fight she can't win.

COMMENTS: And I want to see it happen.

* * *

CIERRA DALINE

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 7

WEAPONS SKILLS: 7

LIKEABILITY: 9

CONFIDENCE: 7

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 9

RUTHLESSNESS: 2

RESOURCEFULNESS: 4

TOTAL: 38

ANALYSIS: Cierra's mental state improved after her first Games. Her unexpectedly high placing has boosted her confidence. However, Cierra is overly soft and will not kill anyone she thinks cannot fight back. She is a follower and will do best in an alliance.

COMMENTS: You show them.

* * *

VENUS LORIETA

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 10

WEAPONS SKILLS: 10

LIKEABILITY: 2

CONFIDENCE: INAPPLICABLE

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED

RUTHLESSNESS: 10

RESOURCEFULNESS: 3

TOTAL: 35**

ANALYSIS: Venus' psychological tests were inconclusive. Our psychologists were unable to glean any useful information from her abnormal behavior and atypical reactions. We suspect Venus harbors some combination of psycopathic and sociopathic tendencies. It may be necessary to terminate her.

COMMENTS: The boogeyman has come.

* * *

FOUR MALES

WHYTE ROBERTS

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: (4, 8)

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 8

CONFIDENCE: 6

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 7

RUTHLESSNESS: 3

RESOURCEFULNESS: 5

TOTAL: 36

ANALYSIS: Whyte is saddened about losing Vera and may behave erratically because of it. His ADD will hinder him. His chances improve the longer he stays with Floki.

COMMENTS: Aww, I hope you both win. Besties forever!

* * *

FLOKI GRIMM

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 9

WEAPONS SKILLS: 10

LIKEABILITY: 9

CONFIDENCE: 7

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 6

RUTHLESSNESS: 3

RESOURCEFULNESS: 8

TOTAL: 45

ANALYSIS: Floki's fugue states provide him with near unstoppable strength. He will not betray his ally or attack anyone he does not deem his equal in combat. He may commit suicide by pitched battle if it seems he is about to die ignobly.

COMMENTS: Aw yeah, now it's a party. Skin those mutts. Bite them shields.

* * *

OLE RODGERS

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 9

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 9

CONFIDENCE: 6

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 6

RUTHLESSNESS: 6

RESOURCEFULNESS: 4

TOTAL: 42

ANALYSIS: Ole's ruthlessness is tempered by his protective nature. He is softer than he realizes and dissolving his alliance will pain him. It is possible he will grow impenetrably hard as the Games progress.

COMMENTS: This is a tragedy waiting to happen.

* * *

TALLULAH "TALLY" SANDPIPER

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 5

WEAPONS SKILLS: 6

LIKEABILITY: 8

CONFIDENCE: 3 (-1)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 5

RUTHLESSNESS: 4

RESOURCEFULNESS: 10

TOTAL: 36

ANALYSIS: Tallulah's resourcefulness score was increased due to her skill in first aid. Her bow skills are masterful but her training is minimal among the other Careers. Her mental state is significantly impaired by the extreme trauma of her previous death and the presence of her murderer in this Games. An early death is anticipated.

COMMENTS: A Career healer. There's a first time for everything.

* * *

ARIELLE ERMIN

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 7

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 7

CONFIDENCE: 6

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 10

RUTHLESSNESS: 7

RESOURCEFULNESS: 4

TOTAL: 43

ANALYSIS: Arielle has learned from her mistakes and will likely perform better this time. Her alliance is incompatible and will not last long. She is likely to make other allies due to her friendly nature.

COMMENTS: Ditch the witch, girl. Find better allies.

* * *

MIST HASTINGS

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 3

WEAPONS SKILLS: 5

LIKEABILITY: 0

CONFIDENCE: INAPPLICABLE

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 1

RUTHLESSNESS: 10

RESOURCEFULNESS: 0

TOTAL: 19

ANALYSIS: Mist cannot rightly be called a Career. She was chosen solely to add drama and has no chance of winning. Her mental illness does appear to have improved slightly since her resurrection. Mist suffers from extreme paranoid delusions and hallucinations similar to violent cases of schizophrenia, but her diagnosis would be more complicated than that if she were examined fully.

COMMENTS: That's not right. She needs help, not more death.

* * *

MARLEY XANDER

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 6

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 9

CONFIDENCE: 8 (-1)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: 10

RUTHLESSNESS: 6

RESOURCEFULNESS: 6

TOTAL: 44

ANALYSIS: Marley's irrepressible humor and optimism make her the most psycholigcally well-adjusted of the Tributes. Her alliance is the most compatible and will be the most fruitful. She may underestimate the dangers of the Games.

COMMENTS: Party on, Mar.

* * *

KALIANA "KALI" REESE

PERFORMANCE IN PREVIOUS GAMES: 5

WEAPONS SKILLS: 8

LIKEABILITY: 7

CONFIDENCE: 5

PSYCHOLIGICAL STATE: 9

RUTHLESSNESS: 0

RESOURCEFULNESS: 1

TOTAL: 30

ANALYSIS: Kaliana's ability to die of dehydration in a frozen Arena indicates gross lack of common sense and ingenuity. She lacks the killer instinct of most Careers and will be a primary target. If the Arena is watery, she will likely withdraw and focus on survival.

COMMENTS: Why did you ever volunteer?

* * *

*IN CASES WHERE TRIBUTES HAD TWO PREVIOUS GAMES, SCORES WERE AVERAGED.

**VENUS' SCORE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF HER LIKELY PERFORMANCE. OUR INABILITY TO MEASURE HER MENTAL WELLBEING LOWERED HER SCORE DRAMATICALLY.

* * *

PRIORITY MAIL

LEVEL TWO CONFIDENTIALITY

THEODORA HARP

* * *

 **Here I am talking about a forum and not saying where it is. Fail.**

 **forum/LadyCordeliaStuart-Hunger-Games-SYOT-Forum/184107/**

 **Ole now has some backstory under "** Green Eyed Girl"


	16. Maybe Final Alliances

Ava Hanson POV

Every time I thought about how much I was eating, I ran another lap. Pray only got me to stop by running in front of me and moving every time I tried to go around her. She said she'd throw me over her shoulder and carry me if I didn't take a break. It would have been sort of funny to see her try, since she was half a foot shorter than me, but it also would have been pretty scary.

I bumped into Lottie and Marley as I exited the Training Room. They were knocking back and forth and joking. I wished I had a friend like that, even in the Games. They both looked so pretty and fit. If only I could be like that.

"Hey, Ava!" Lottie said. She waved at me and Marley smiled. I didn't think they even knew who I was, and I smiled back.

"We're looking for allies. How about it?" Marley asked. I was stunned. I did so bad in both my previous Games. Why would they want me?

"Me? But I'm in such bad shape," I said. I never ran enough laps. I always let Pray tempt me away. Lottie scoffed.

"What are you talking about? I'm _two_ of you, girl!" she said.

"All you ever _do_ is work out," Marley said. "That's why we want you. We don't want to fight you!"

"Really?" I asked. I turned to look at Pray, who had come out behind me. She was smiling a very 'I told you so' sort of smile, and she nodded triumphantly.

" _I_ think you'll be great together," she said. I knew what she was thinking. As much as it seemed to pain her, Pray said something complimentary to me every day. She watched me like a hawk every meal and usually picked the food without any input from me. She knew she couldn't stay with me in the Arena, and she wanted me to be with someone who would. As for me, I was tickled pink that someone wanted me and I really wanted to be part of the party. Marley and Lottie seemed like the coolest girls in the Games. I was going to have the coolest allies ever.

* * *

 **There's one more Tribute coming, but I'm having difficulty opening the file, since my sister emailed her to me. Once I open it, Daisy Stem will join the roster.**

 **Also, it seems Olivine's submitter isn't actively reading and Olivine was nominated by someone else. That's totally fine, but it does mean she might not get quite as many POVs because I will be working harder to ensure everyone who either made a Tribute or resubmitted their own gets to follow their creation. This also applies to Venus, but she's also getting delayed POVs because of her development. She'll be more prominent when the Games start.**

 **I _am_ keeping tabs on who's been featured and I plan to hit the others soon. These have been alliance chapters, but I want to make sure everyone gets hit. I think I still need POVs for Charmaine, Tally, Orren (but he's a little irregular anyway), Odeda, Ash, Jynx, Chantal, Priscilla, Mary Ellen, Hunter, Victory, Daisy, Marley, Mist, Kali, Glaudius and maybe Aversa. There may be some repeats and omissions, so don't hesitate to correct me.**

 **Cierra is allying with Steel. I didn't put her in earlier because I got the submitters wrong and thought Cierra's wanted it but Steel's hadn't confirmed. That's what I get for not looking closely enough at my notes.**


	17. People Who Didn't Get Featured Yet

**Odeda got two POVs because I wrote hers thinking she needed one and didn't realize until I was done. No use wasting a POV, so I just added hers and wrote the others who needed one. Hence this chapter is longer than normal.**

* * *

Odeda Titan POV

Everybody was curious about how the Career pack would turn out when we were all Careers. In the end, there was a pack after all, and it was the best of the best. It wasn't the biggest- just three people. There was me, Akari, and Venus. All the same, it was one of the strongest packs the Games had ever seen. Weirdly enough, there weren't many alliances this year. A lot of us were going it alone. A lot of us were _stupid,_ since they were basically saying they were strong enough to fight a handful of alliances made up of seasoned killers. They had no idea what they were in for, and by the time they found out it would be too late.

I only hoped the Bloodbath didn't take too many victims. More specifically, I hoped everyone _else_ in the Bloodbath didn't take too many victims. Not because I wanted them to live or because I thought the others would make things more painful. Heck, no. I wanted there to be enough people left that the Games would last a long time. I wanted to savor the hunt and enjoy every last kill. I never thought I'd get another chance at the Games, and I was going to enjoy every second.

It was unbearable waiting through the rest of the endless pomp and circumstance for the Games to start. I still had to get through the interviews and the last few days before the good stuff started. I could dabble in the training room or pick my first targets, but it was all dreadfully dull. Let the Games begin and long live Panem!

* * *

Glaudius Gold POV

I thought I was tough until I watched the recaps of Games that took place after my death. I didn't know what happened. When I went in, the Academy was a last resort. It was for people who were scared they would get picked and who wanted some insurance, or people who wanted to play at being brave gladiators. The children that came out of there now were monsters. They killed for fun and for glory. They thought there was glory in murder and they competed to see who was best at it.

The change came about so quickly. It started on a playground Arena with a girl who shot an arrow into a cowering boy whose voice hadn't even dropped yet. After her win, murderers conquered the next half-dozen Games in increasingly savage ways. I'd seen Crag around the Capitol, but until I watched his Games I didn't know the way he smashed childrens' heads into wet pieces. The Games had always been about death, but before, it was almost random. Most of the victims died of exposure or dehydration. The murders were usually acts of terrified passion or the depradations of a few depraved individuals. Before, "Hunger Games" referred to the Tributes trying to stave off starvation and malnutrition. Now they referred to the Careers and their hunger for blood.

I was trained, but this was something else. The greatest thing for some of these Careers wasn't to win, but to kill. I'd only volunteered for a chance at riches. I never wanted this. Was it karma? I was willing to kill for a big enough prize. Now I was up against people who were willing to kill for no reason at all.

* * *

Tally Sandpiper POV

I was such an underdog it wasn't funny. I knew how to shoot an arrow and how to heal wounds. Most of my opponents knew every weapon in the Training Room and their only worry was which one to use first. If Ole hadn't allied with me, I knew I'd have died in the Bloodbath.

What was there to even go home to? I was engaged when I volunteered. Heron told me I shouldn't go. He wanted a quiet life with me, not fame and riches in the Capitol. He got his wish after I died. I was happy he found someone else, but it was just one more thing that cut me off from my old life. All I had was the Capitol and the Games now. My only purpose in life was something I wasn't even good at.

Only a miracle would let me win. I was better off sticking with Ole and helping him as long as I could. I still wanted to live, even when the line between death and life was so blurred. The odds seemed insurmountable, but that didn't mean I could give up. I had to focus on one problem at a time. I might not be able to win the Games, but I could make it through one more day.

My priorities were clear. First of all, I was going to stay away from Orren. I would rather run to the Career pack and slap one upside the head than see him again. If it looked like he was going to get me, I didn't trust myself not to fall on my arrow. Second, I was going to avoid the others as much as I could. It seemed obvious, but a lot of them were probably spoiling for a fight and might cluster together. Ole wouldn't object to a quieter strategy. There were only two of us, and we were far from the most bloodthirsty.

Other than that, all I could do was try my best. My strongest advantage was that everyone knew how timid I was. They'd be looking for a grand fight, not a dull kill. In a Games that was all about killing, maybe I could win by simply surviving.

* * *

Chantal Ivingin POV

I'd died twice, and each time had changed me. Before I died the first time, I always underestimated myself. I was never the front-runner in my first Games. I fought battles I knew I could win and I kept clear of the pack. The second time, I was bolder. I knew how far I could go and when I reviewed the tapes of the first Resurrection Games, I was considered one of the villains in the Capitol. I wasn't the worst- that would be Rapture- but I was a bad guy, one of the ones to be scared of.

This time, I wanted to do even better, but I was more scared than in the first Resurrection Games. I was scared I wouldn't match up to my second performance. I was scared I'd fall flat and this would be my last chance. I'd had three chances at the Games. At any moment, the audience could get bored of me. If I wasn't a fan favorite, I wouldn't get picked again. Each looming death brought more pressure. It wasn't about the other girls anymore. It was about my life.

The second time, I was angry. I resented the others for underestimated me and I felt dark gratification that I was powerful enough to be feared. I wanted to claw my way to the top and light the Capitol ablaze with my strength and ferocity. This time, I really just wanted to win. I wanted to be the best after so many trials, and I wanted to live. I wasn't out to get any of my opponents. I was after the crown, and whatever happened before I got there was only because someone got in my way.

* * *

Ash Smith POV

One moment you're here, the next you're gone. That's how things can go in the Games. You can be killing and running amok one second, and then you're dead. No second chances and no time-outs. Mary Ellen taught me that.

Things were going to be different this time. I was going to spend less time goofing off and more time training. The alliances were all messed up this year and I didn't intend to get mixed up in that. Obviously, I couldn't trust anyone.

I had this much going for me: everyone thought I was a joke. I was the Career who died in the Bloodbath. I could make that work. If everyone thought I was a brainless jock, they'd never see me coming. It meant I had to keep up appearances until the Games started, though. Even while I trained and prepared, I had to look like I was partying and wasting time. I had to look as stupid as I was before my first Games. I didn't think that would be very hard. It was in my nature to underperform, even if I did get picked for the Games. The only difference was that this time, it was a show. I was here to win this time, and nobody would know until it was too late.

* * *

Charmaine Vale POV

I didn't want to go. I didn't want to hear the countdown again. I didn't want to see the bloodshed as we all ran for supplies. I didn't want to hide and fight for my life against two dozen other killers. Most of all, I didn't want to see what horrible mutts there were this time.

We weren't allowed to leave the Games building, but we were allowed to contact our families... those of us who still had them. Of course I asked right away if I could video call my mother. She picked up before it even rang a second time. Her face appeared on the screen and my chest clenched.

"Mom?" I said. She looked a little bit older, but she was the same as she'd ever been. As soon as she saw me she started crying, and then I lost it.

"Baby, are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm okay. I mean, I died, but I'm better now. Are you mad at me?" I asked through tears.

"Of course not. I wish you were here. I love you," she said.

"But I didn't win," I said. How could she not be disappointed?

"I don't care about that. I just want you home," she said. It almost made me feel worse that she cared so much. I didn't want to break her heart again. What was I thinking when I volunteered?

We must have talked for hours after that. We talked about everything from my room back home, which was just as I'd left it, to what I was supposed to do in the Games (which included _not_ running into the Bloodbath and being careful to keep my clothes dry). After a while it seemed normal, like I was just talking to my mother. I treasured every word, and I knew I'd be calling back soon.

* * *

Mist Hastings POV

One of the women in the Capitol poisoned me. She had two men hold me down and she stuck a needle in my arm. She left me to die.

Nothing happened at first. Things just got quieter. There weren't so many people in the room. I felt like the people who were always chasing me had finally stopped, and I didn't hear so many people talking. Everything was clearer, and I knew why I was always scared. Another woman came and joined me in the room.

"Hey, Mist. How you feeling?" she asked. Her voice didn't echo like it did before. I wondered where Troy had gone. Maybe back to his grave.

"All right. You're my mentor, right?" I asked. I'd seen her before. I thought I'd died after that, but that didn't make any sense. A lot of things didn't make any sense.

"Is there anything weird in the room? Like am I on fire or something?" the woman asked. It seemed like that would have been normal before, but now it sounded silly.

"No," I said. I tried to think about what had happened before. It didn't seem silly when I remembered people fighting and children dying. The Capitol must have messed with my memories. They were always changing people. I remembered one thing more than anything else.

"I killed someone," I said. He was on fire. It was a long time ago.

"We've all killed people," the woman said. I was right about the world. It was full of murderers and hunters. I couldn't be sure of anything.

* * *

Kaliana Reese POV

After training and all competition that came along with it, I was relieved when it was time to get ready for the interviews. My last interview was the highlight of my time in the Capitol. Seutonius was the only one here who really cared about all of us. I always wondered how he ended up in that job and I hoped he didn't feel guilty. We all loved him, and we knew nothing was his fault.

"You haven't met Harlequin, have you?" one of my stylists said as she applied my makeup.

"No. Who's that?" I asked, smudging my lipstick. The stylist tutted and reapplied it.

"She's the interviewer, silly," she said. I jerked my head and smeared the rest of my makeup.

"What? What happened to Seutonius?" I asked.

"He's like a hundred years old, honey. He doesn't work here anymore," she said. There was no reason for it, but I wanted to burst into tears. I didn't care who Harlequin was. She wasn't Seutonius. I was stuck in the Capitol with a bunch of Careers who trained twice as hard as I did and the only thing that made the days worthwhile was gone. He'd have told me to be brave. He'd have said I could win it, and I would have believed it if it came from him. I wondered if he still watched the Games. I almost asked if he was still alive, but I couldn't bear it. He had to be. He had to be alive so he could still be rooting for me. Then I would know I could win.

He was still alive. I was sure of it. And that meant I could win. I didn't have to be scared. I was trained. I was strong. I could win.

* * *

 **That leaves me with Orren, Jynx, Priscilla, Mary Ellen, Hunter, Victory, Daisy, Marley, and Aversa before the Games start. I shall write them after the interviews. This chapter ended up with a theme of the Tributes who were less trained and more nervous. It just sort of happened.**

 **Mist just got shot with the strongest anti-psychotic medication known to Panem. She won't have access to it in the Games and will be back to her old self by the time she gets to the platform, but it's neat to see what she might be like if she didn't deal with severe mental illness.**


	18. Interviews

**The interviews are shorter because there are more Tributes than normal.**

* * *

Harlequin Marceau POV

 _Ugh, all Careers._

I never liked the Careers. They were thuggish and brutal. I may have been a Capitolite, but the farther away a Tribute lived from the Capitol, the more I usually rooted for them. The snark was going to be strong today. I added some last touches to my makeup, finished it with a splash of lipstick (Theodora's favorite shade. At least there were still _some_ good things about the Games), and waited for my cue.

The first Tribute was one I'd never seen before. I'd watched Tritium on television, that is, but I'd never interviewed him.

"This is your first Resurrection Games, isn't it?" I asked. "How are you liking it so far?"

"A lot has changed. It's not exactly what I signed up for. But then, I didn't sign up at all this time," he said. It almost sounded like he wasn't happy to be killing people. Imagine that.

"I hear you're allying with Victory this time. However did _that_ come about?" I asked Jynx.

"I wouldn't want anyone else to kill her. That's _my_ job. She feels the same about me," he said. Isn't that sweet. Though I don't know what Theodora sees in him. He's not my type.

"Are you still the villain this time around?" I asked Rapture. He'd elected to be interviewed with Diamond, so she was the first female Tribute I saw.

"Whatever gets me the win," Rapture said.

"He's not a villain. We're just trying to win," Diamond said. I liked her a lot more than her brother. But then, I'm pretty biased.

"A lot of people say you were robbed of your win," I said to Glaudius. "Is that true?"

"Definitely. It was a fluke. It won't happen again," he said, like he was the victim. He wasn't robbed of anything, but he robbed a lot of children of their lives.

"What's it like seeing Tillo and Felix again?" I asked Hunter.

"It's definitely a trip. I'm just glad the other Felix isn't here. That way we can both win," he said. In a perfect world...

"You're one of our older Tributes. In fact, you're older than me!" I said when I saw Charmaine. She laughed.

"I guess so. I never thought of it that way. Older and wiser, I hope," she said. I hoped so too.

"I have to ask. How do you feel about your recent loss?" I asked Victory. She facepalmed.

"Oh my goodness, have mercy. It won't happen again, okay?" she said. I had mercy.

"You performed excellently last time. How do you intend to improve?" I asked Olivine.

"This time I'm going to win," she said. Short and to the point.

"You'll see me again," Chantal said confidently.

"As a Victor or a Tribute?" I asked. I can be so mean.

I'd been dreading interviewing Priscilla. We both knew what was missing. There was an empty space on the stage neither of us could forget.

"I'm sure you'll do a great job. Anything can happen in the Capitol, especially for a Victor," I said. She must have known what I meant, but she didn't say anything.

"Are you planning to improve upon your last performance?" I asked Ash innocently.

"No, I plan to do worse," he said. Well shoot. I met my match.

"How are you liking the Capitol?" I asked Troy. It was my most generic question, but he ran with it.

"It's been great. I've seen so many new things. I feel like I've spent all my life in the Academy training to live and only now do I actually _live,"_ he said. That was... surprisingly eloquent. I had someone I wouldn't mind rooting for.

I didn't ask Orren any questions. He took care of all his airtime.

"Judgement Day has come. The sins of the many will be repaid sevenfold. There are so many here awaiting condemnation. None will escape," he said. He stared at me like the Grim Reaper.

"All right then. By the way, I have never sinned. Not once," I said.

"Your alliance seems like the strongest so far. Are you this year's pack?" I asked Akari.

"It seems so. We won't disappoint," she said. Her answers were short and assured. She knew what she was doing.

"Don't you look beautiful today?" I said to Ava. She always looked so uncomfortable when she had to be onstage.

"Thanks," she said shyly. It was an improvement from last time.

"Say hello to your newest Victor," Mary Ellen said.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Some of these Tributes seem rather homicidal. They'll probably remove each other. They don't represent Panem anyway," Steel said.

"Oh no, not at all," I said in my most sincere voice. Panem is always watching.

"I can't wait until I get to run into the Bloodbath," Odeda said.

"Neither can I," I answered.

"Your alliance seems to be having more fun than they're allowed to have," I said to Lottie.

"If we aren't yet, we'll work on it," she said. I hoped one of those crazy goofballs won it all.

"Here's the girl you've all been waiting for," Aversa said as she walked onstage with her arms oustretched.

"It wasn't worth the wait," I said.

"I'm feeling good about this year. I underestimated myself last time. Now I know what I can do," Cierra said. A lot of people underestimated her. I hoped they made the same mistake.

"Do you have anything to tell us?" I asked Venus.

"Nothing comes to mind," she said. She wanted to get done as quickly as possible. I didn't like being next to her any more than she liked me.

"It's weird seeing people from so long ago. It's a blast from the past," Ole said. He was looking off into the distance, like he was thinking of someone in particular. I tried to get it out of him, but we ran out of time.

"Here's Panem's berserker, back for another go! You must be overjoyed," I said to Floki.

"It's all right. I'm kind of tired of fighting. This time I think I just want to live," he said. That trickster. He was living up to his name.

"I can't help but notice that Vera's not here. How's that been for you?" I asked Whyte.

"There's more to me than Vera. I hope I'll see her again, but I can get along by myself. Floki and I are having a lot of fun," he said. Fair enough. Shame on me for assuming.

"What's your strategy for the Games?" I asked Tally.

"I'm going to stay out of the big fights. Honestly, I'm not a heavy hitter," she said. _The non-threat defense. Good choice in your case._

"I learned a lot from last time. I've noted all my mistakes and I'm going to work on them all," Arielle said. It was a surprisingly humble and honest approach for a Career. I hoped it paid off.

Mist looked like a different person. She was neatly groomed and her eyes were focused.

"You seem happy," I commented.

"It's been all right," she said hesitantly. She kept looking around, like she expected to find someone who wasn't there. Still better than last time. I wasn't even there, but I saw the tapes.

"Going to go all the way this time?" I asked Marley.

"You bet. Elver's not here this time to stab me in the back, and I have two great allies to watch it for me anyway," she said. I wasn't allowed to bet, but I would have laid a paycheck on that alliance.

"How do you feel about your competitors?" I asked Camille. She had the strangest accent when she answered.

"A lot of them are very soft. They're going to have to toughen up if they want a chance," she said. I couldn't argue with that.

"I haven't met you before! It's a pleasure," I said to Kaliana.

"You too. You're not anything like I expected," she said. I hoped she hadn't expected something terrible. I didn't _think_ I was scary, especially not for Careers.

"What do you think about this Games' all Careers twist?" I asked Nadia.

"It's certainly going to make things harder," she said. She was the first one to say what we were all thinking.

I was all talked out when I finally got to the end. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared. Some of the Tributes were even a little commendable. I knew who I wanted to win, even if I wasn't about to tell the others. No need to say anything that could be taken as rebellious. At least I didn't feel as guilty as I usually did. As soon as I got to my dressing room, I threw off my outfit and put on a pair of flannel pants and an old t-shirt. Theodora didn't need me to wear a fancy dress. We could chill and eat pizza or whatever we wanted. As long as I didn't have to do any more interviews.

* * *

 **Yesterday at work I decided I shipped Harlequin and Theodora. As you can tell by her training reports, Theodora usually finds men attractive, but sometimes she prefers women for actual relationships. It's a pretty casual thing they have going on anyway. It's basically a fling that picks up every year when they're back together in the Games building.**

 **For my little sis: I couldn't open the email due to my ad block, humorously enough. I'll be adding Daisy retroactively after I open it on a different computer.**


	19. Gotta Get Em' All

Priscilla Piscot POV

I didn't want to play the game if Miall wasn't there. Losing him again was worse than the first time. Seeing him again made it seem like he could never die. But then he did, and this time he was gone forever.

I saw all the other alliances making plans. Some of them, like Marley's, were even having fun. I didn't want to be on a team anymore. It wouldn't be like last time. Last time I was in a pretty epic alliance. If we hadn't crossed paths with the literal God of Death, one of us probably would have won.

I was starting to think maybe the Hunger Games weren't the most fun I'd ever played. The first time around, I'd started to lose my enthusiasm when I realized I liked Hoops better than the Games. If I ended up winning, at least I already had a talent.

That gave me an idea. If I won, I'd be famous. People would be watching me and hanging on my every word. But what if my every word was about Miall? I could talk about him all the time and never stop saying how cool he was. I could say he got robbed last time and that if he just got another chance, he'd win for sure.

Just like that, I had a reason to play again. I'd always loved games, but this wasn't like that. This was the most important game of my life. I had to win, no matter what.

* * *

Jynx Susurrus POV

Victory and I sat in her room, going over possibilities.

"Okay, what if it's a harsh Arena?" I asked.

"We should pick one weapon at the Cornucopia and focus on supplies," Victory said.

"Right. If it's an urban one, we can just grab weapons. In an all-Career Games, it won't take long enough for us to need food," I said. I'd been afraid Victory wouldn't pay attention to the little details that could save our lives, but she was very studious. In fact, she said she'd thought the same thing about me. I thought she was flighty, but she thought I took things lightly because everything came easy to me. That was a bit of a shock, but it _was_ flattering that she thought I was such a natural.

We were as different as day and night, but in the Games we were a perfect match. I'd come to realize we'd really cared for each other all along. For a Career, the highest compliment you can pay to a competitor is to kill them yourself. We all think we're the best, and targeting someone means we think they're our biggest threat. I _did_ like Victory. She was impossible sometimes, but I wanted her to win if I didn't. I knew she felt the same about me. Together, one of us might get our wish.

* * *

Hunter Thompson POV

I didn't want the Games to be outside. I didn't know if I could take it. If I looked up and saw open sky above the Bloodbath, I might not have the courage to move. If the platform rose up and brought me into darkness, I might step off the platform rather than bear another second of it.

I thought I was ready for anything. The Academy taught me how to fight and kill. The Games taught me how to survive, though obviously not well enough. There was no enemy I couldn't fight and nothing I wasn't ready for. Then came the bat.

I prayed for anything, anything other than that. Not the sound of papery wings in the air over my head. Not the blasphemous letters smeared in blood on its hide. I'd rather fight in a burning volcano or the open sea than see anything like that again.

I wondered how the scientists found enough of me to piece together. What did I come from? A scrap of flesh clinging to a broken piece of bone? The drops of blood spattered on Kazuo's face? He'd come to me when I first came back. He could barely speak as he begged me to forgive him. I tried to tell him it wasn't his fault. I didn't know anyone could be brave enough to try to pull me to safety when the bat was pulling me away. We sat for a long time in my room. Neither of us wanted to go outside.

The Arena could be anything. I prayed for an torchlit cave or a buzzing city. Anything with walls and lights. Lots of lights. Anything that could keep me safe from what was out there.

* * *

Victory Amarinthine POV

The Career pack, at its best, is a precariously contained powder keg. It never lasts the entire Games. Careers have won more than anyone else, but the final two rarely belong to the original pack. It's an all-or-nothing gamble to ally yourself with the fiercest killers in the Arena. You had the best the Cornucopia had to offer, but you had half a dozen knives aimed at your back all along the way.

That's how I ended up with Jynx. We never liked each other, but experience told us we could trust each other. For years I'd watched his every move in the Academy. We jostled for position and praise, and we studied each other every moment. We each knew the other better than we knew ourselves. Fighting style, strength, weaknesses, body language, motivation... we knew it all. We'd know when the other needed help and our mutual desire to defeat the other would mean we'd offer it. Both of us held in reserve the knowledge that if the other intended to betray us, we'd see it coming.

Short-range and close-range, we had it covered. Between us, we knew every weapon and every strategy. We were a bundle of contradictions- talent and effort, extrovert and introvert, blade and arrow. Both of us had selected the ally most likely to kill them, and that might keep us alive longer than anything else.

* * *

Orren Daphne POV

The door to my room was locked. They knew if they let me out I would start avenging, and they didn't trust me to target the guilty parties. They were right. They were too merciful- _everyone_ was guilty. If I could, I'd judge them all. I already had in my heart.

Something had gone wrong last time. I'd judged a girl, but I saw her again. She must have made some pact with evil to be returned to life. When I met her in the Games, I'd make sure her punishment stuck.

I paced the room, restless to begin. There were more this time than last time. People were getting more depraved. It would only get worse if they were allowed to continue unchecked. How much longer could justice wait?

* * *

Aversa Jewel POV

We were the ones to beat. _I_ was the one to beat, really. Arielle hardly belonged in our elite pack. Venus would never get the Capitol's support with her lifeless personality. Akari wasn't as good as she thought she was, and Odeda was a bimbo. I wouldn't take any of them lightly, of course, but that was hardly possible.

Akari nestled herself into position as our alliance's leader. I let her take it. Captains go down with ships. I didn't have to be a leader, but I wasn't a follower, either. I'd do what I wanted, and if she was smart, she'd let me. I was her best asset.

After training was over, I spent most of my time mingling with the Capitolites. I loved watching the kids line up for autographs or to take pictures. I wondered how many of my signatures would be treasured keepsakes for years to come. Having a Victor's autograph must be highly coveted. And I _would_ be Victor. It wasn't idle boasting- I'd trained hard for this. I knew my stuff. That's how I _could_ brag about it. Some of the others probably thought I was full of hot air, but it was just the truth. I was the Academy's best. This was what I did, and I did it well.

* * *

Daisy Stem POV

The Academy didn't have a protocol for this.

I learned every lesson they had to teach. I mastered every exercise and perfected every move. I was top of my class. I knew it all. But what did I do when I died?

It was embarrassing, first of all. After all the time and money they put into training me, I went and died. I wasted the adventure of a lifetime. At least I had a second chance. I'd make the best out of it.

Dying taught me a lot of things. The most important was not to die again. Obviously, I'd avoid what killed me the last time, but there was more than that. I'd be more serious this time. As shameful as it was, volunteering was sort of a lark for me. I didn't think about dying. They told me how good I was all the time, and I didn't really think it was possible. Now I knew what I was getting into. I'd had other plans for life besides the Games before, but I had to put those aside. The Games were my life, for better or for worse.

* * *

 **Mary Ellen and Marley are left for the final pre-Games chapter. Daisy will also get another POV, since this is her awakening and doesn't show much about her. I had to add it or her later POV would have no context.**

 **Orren's is short because he is pretty much the most one-dimensional character possible. I can only type "vengeance" so many times. He's a man of action, not interior monologue.**


	20. The Last Night

Marley Xander POV

I still had two fingers poised in the air. I could win this. We were clustered in a circle in my room on a pile of pillows. It was the last night before the Games. We wanted to get to know each other and just have a little fun. Anything could happen tomorrow, but for tonight, what happened in the sisterhood stayed in the sisterhood. Piles of snacks and empty soda bottles littered the floor around us.

"Never have I ever... broken a limb," I said. Ava lowered a finger. Lottie's single upraised finger triumphantly remained. Olivine was already out.

"Never have I ever shot a crossbow," Lottie said.

"Shoot!" I said as I lowered a finger. I tried one out back at the Academy. It wasn't my thing, and I quickly abandoned it, but it was enough.

We were all down to our last finger. It was Ava's turn. With one word, she could win it all.

"Never have I ever..." she started. She hesitated, and her cheeks started to turn red.

"What is it?" Lottie prodded.

"Never have I ever..." Ava tried again. She turned away and covered one hand with her mouth. I had a horrible premonition of what was coming.

"Never have I ever _had sex!"_

Ava won.

* * *

Mary Ellen Westley POV

I had a problem.

I was a target. First off, I was one of the best. Second, I sort of had a reputation as a villain, even by Career standards. Third, I didn't have any allies. A lot of my competitors would want a chance to whack one of the Games' more unpopular Tributes and gain some sponsors. I had to watch my back.

It might not have been such a disadvantage to be a loner. There were a lot of strong personalities packed into one Arena. Alliances would fracture quickly. With luck I could mop up the leftovers.

It was getting late. Half my competitors were probably tossing and turning, too scared to get any sleep. That was one advantage I had. I could sleep easy. There were risks, and I had to be careful, but I knew I could do it. Not all of them had that comfort.

* * *

Daisy Stem POV

Training was over. It wouldn't do any good to worry or fret until the Games began. For my last day in the Capitol, I just wanted some ice cream.

Everything was bigger in the Capitol. The ice cream parlor I found was no exception. Instead of the twelve flavors I had back home, the entire wall was lined with five rows of choices. The other wall was covered with canisters full of every topping imaginable. I hardly knew where to start.

"See anything you like?" the man behind the counter asked. He was wearing an old-fashioned striped outfit and hat, and his curling mustache was striped like a candy cane.

"Everything," I said. "I always thought it would be neat to run an ice cream store." It was a silly dream for a Career. It didn't even make any sense. Either I'd be dead or I'd be too rich to have to work. I really didn't look ahead when I volunteered. It was like I thought I'd win one day and go back to my life the next.

I chose three scoops of brightly colored ice cream and sat by the counter. I liked the store's layout, but if _I_ ran the place, it would have more sprinkles. It needed tall glass jars of sprinkles all over the place, like they could never run out. Sprinkles made people happy, just like ice cream. Maybe that could be the name of my parlor. Sprinkles Ice Cream, run by Daisy Stem. It was like something from a storybook.

* * *

 **Since these are all Careers, an into the tubes chapter would be repetitive. I'll skip to when the platforms raise. Also, I switched Arenas halfway in after I thought of something that gave me way more ideas, so the one person I told might be surprised.**

 **Alliances:**

 **Ultra-Careers: Aversa, Arielle, Akari, Odeda, Venus**

 **Peacekeepers: Steel, Troy and Cierra**

 **Bromance: Whyte and Floki**

 **Chivalry: Ole and Tally**

 **Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Marley, Lottie, Olivine and Ava**


	21. Sixty Seconds

Tritium Paine POV

It could be anything. It could be a lush island or a grassy plain. It could be a castle or a replica of President Galba's house. I wished the platform would rise faster so I could see what it was and start making plans.

* * *

Steel Keshmin POV

I took a look around and smiled. This Arena was made for me.

 _59, 58, 57..._

* * *

Hunter Dubchen POV

The sun was terrible on my head. The air was too open, and I shuddered. I almost cried in relief when I saw the blocky buildings around the small clearing we were in. As soon as I had a weapon, I was running straight inside.

 _50, 49, 48..._

* * *

Tally Sandpiper POV

Were we in some sort of Peacekeeper compound? Short, tended grass surrounded our platforms, but the clearing was only a little field. Behind the Cornucopia there was a two-story building, and there was another behind me. To the left, squat buildings stood in a row. There was forest to the other side. Everything had a drab, gray look.

 _38, 37, 36..._

* * *

Whyte Roberts POV

 _The Cornucopia is overflowing with weapons, but there isn't much else. We don't_ need _much else. They're sure none of us will die of anything but murder._

 _32, 31, 30..._

* * *

Akari Igneous POV

 _The first time in the tubes I saw scorching sand. I knew it was my place. It was here again, the time for my enjoyment._

 _27, 26, 25..._

* * *

Rapture Kai POV

 _Where's Diamond? There she is._

 _24, 23, 22..._

* * *

Cierra Daline POV

Steel had spent the last two days teaching me and Troy the hand signals Peacekeepers used when they couldn't talk. She was signing urgently at both of us, outlying our entire plan.

19 _, 18, 17..._

* * *

Troy Cahill POV

 _You sure about that?_

 _14, 13, 12..._

* * *

Lottie Parker POV

 _There's Marley. There's Ava. There's Olivine. We're all here and it's time to go._

 _10, 9, 8..._

* * *

Priscilla Piscot POV

 _Round one's about to start, Miall. I'll make it a slam dunk._

 _6, 5, 4..._

* * *

Kaliana Reese POV

 _The sun shines so beautifully on the water. I wish I was fishing._

 _3, 2, 1..._

The Games began.

* * *

 **Everyone here knows that with any provocation, I will talk about the time I got to spend three days with a bunch of Marines. That's what gave me the idea for this Arena. For the first time, you all can see exactly what the Arena looks like. It's Camp Ripley, a military base used mostly for training. The fortified buildings and ready supplies mean these Hunger Games will be no less than war.**


	22. Bloodbath

Ash Smith POV

As expected, nearly every one of us ran for the Cornucopia. The only one that didn't was the nutcase from Four. Any of us could get her whenever we wanted, so we let her go.

Everything a Career possibly could have wanted was in the Cornucopia. Obvious weapons like swords and spears mingled with exotic choices like a blowgun. It was practically all the same to me. If it killed, I could use it. But then something more important came by.

Mary Ellen streaked past me, running for an axe. I ran up behind her and bumped into her. When she turned, I smashed my hand into her cheek. As she spun, I caught her by the back of the head and bashed her head into the side of the Cornucopia. She bounced off it like a rock and went down just as heavily as one. Karma's a witch.

* * *

Mary Ellen Westley POV

 _Touche..._

* * *

Steel Keshmin POV

We all knew what to do. A Peackeeper had to be able to make up a plan on the fly and adjust it as quickly. In this specific case, I had to make a point as much as obtain an objective. The others thought I was a weakling. I didn't want to be a frontrunner, but I couldn't be a target, either. I ran straight into the heart of the Bloodbath, but I knew exactly what I was doing.

Every day in the Peacekeeper Academy, we ran laps. I could run like no one's business, and I was the first to the supplies. I could focus all my attention ahead without worry. Cierra was stationed as my cover, and Troy was picking off anyone who threatened us.

The only thing in the Cornucopia was weaponry. I'd scanned the selection while I was still on the platform, and I knew just where to run. I saw in my peripherals that Troy had gotten a spear, so that left me and Cierra. I sprinted toward a pair of swords with attached straps and slung them over my back. I kept up my pace and ran farther in toward the Cornucopia. As I reached it, I jumped up on a table of throwing knives and vaulted up and over the back of the Cornucopia, tucking and rolling. As I landed by its tail, Troy and Cierra joined me from around either side in a pincer motion, and we ran to the building on the far side. It went off beautifully, like a well-trained platoon.

* * *

Cierra Daline POV

 _Watch Steel's back. Don't let anyone-_

Venus reached the table right after Steel. Her eyes were on Steel's back as she picked up a knife to throw.

 _No! I don't do long-range weapons! What do I do?_ I grabbed for the nearest weapon. It was a mace, and I chucked it at Venus for all I was worth. It landed on the table by her arm with a terrific clatter. It startled her, and as she looked down to see what it was, Steel disappeared safely out of sight.

* * *

Odeda Titan POV

 _Yes! Yes! It's finally time!_

I ran in to the melee and grabbed a sword. I twirled it once as I looked around for my first victim. I flicked it up into the air and honed in on my prey.

What goes up must come down. I must have glanced a little too long. A splitting pain drove into the top of my head and bore me to the ground.

I'd found my first victim. It was _me._

* * *

Rapture Kai POV

I grabbed my sword and got ready to kill. The center of the Cornucopia was staked out by Venus and her allies. Nobody wanted to get into that, so the fights were clustered around the edges of the Bloodbath. I saw three of the girls in the party alliance calling to Lottie, who was stuck on the other side of the Cornucopia. As she ran across the fray, I intercepted her and slashed at her chest.

She swung up with her own sword, and our weapons clashed. The sheer force of her strike knocked me back, and my katana shattered as her massive, two-handed broadsword cleaved through it. My hands went numb and my arms tingled with shock.

"Sorry. Mine's bigger than yours," Lottie said. I should have stayed closer to Diamond.

* * *

Tally Sandpiper POV

I was lucky. My platform was one away from Ole's. I saw a bow and quiver of arrows perilously close to the pack's table. Without it I was weaponless, but what chance did I have of reaching it? Ole was ahead of me, looking for his own weapon.

He didn't see Venus' knife come at me. It hit me right in the heart, and I knew I was dead. Orren was still halfway across the Bloodbath. He was coming at me, but he wouldn't reach me. He would never hurt me again.

* * *

Akari Igneous POV

This was no time for fun. Some of the others were laughing as they cut down their victims. I knew how intoxicating a kill could be, but I had to keep my head. I stored my feelings for later and got to work.

One of the girls from Four was running toward the woods. She wasn't a killer. She just fell in with us. It didn't matter.

Some people try to justify themselves as Careers. They say they don't kill little kids, or they always fight fair. I don't lie to myself like that. I know what I am, and I own it. I don't add insulting rationalizations to my murder. I let my knife fly at my helpless victim.

* * *

Kaliana Reese POV

 _I should have been a fisher. I should have stayed on the waves. Sometimes water kills, but it never murders. It's just part of the world. It's a beautiful part._

* * *

Charmaine Vale POV

My mother was watching when Whyte's sword went through me. He looked guilty when he turned to run. He must have thought I was someone else. A larger threat, probably.

I summoned the last of my fading strength so I fell slowly, almost like I was just lying down. The best thing I could do for my mother now wasn't to win. It was to make it look easy. I felt the grass in my fingers and the sun on my face as the life slipped out of me. I thought of my mother, and I smiled.

* * *

Tritium Paine POV

I didn't even want to go into the Bloodbath. Really I just wanted to get out of there, but I'd never survive without a weapon.

It got louder the closer I got to the Cornucopia. There was the sound of drawing weapons. Allies screamed as they searched for each other. One of the dead boys from one was being cradled by his sister as she wailed.

I favored the Urumi, but for this battle, knives were better. I avoided the pack's table and looked among the other weapons littered around. A knife whistled over my head, but Venus wasn't aiming at me. Some other Tribute just lost the games.

A low hum joined the rest of the noises, and then there was an arrow in my back. I whirled around and saw Aversa huddled behind the pack with a bow. She shot another arrow into my front, then looked at the nearby pack and darted away.

I wanted the Games to be over with as soon as possible. I got my wish.

* * *

Orren Daphne POV

Tally was already dead. It was supposed to be done right, according to her sin, but judgement had been passed. My aim shifted to the girl running away with the bow. She was proud. Justice demanded she die first, to teach her humility.

Something stuck through me, and I couldn't walk anymore. Another stick went through my leg and nailed me to the ground. Someone was defying justice. They'd pay. Even if I wasn't the agent, they'd pay.

* * *

Victory Amarinthine POV

 _Good one, Jynx. That guy was so creepy._

* * *

 **I forgot my mom was taking me shopping today. At least I had mercy and wrote before my usual time in the dead of the night. I finally made a big Bloodbath this time, though there's more people fighting.**

 **32nd place: Odeda Titan- Accidentally split her own head with a sword**

 **Odeda died first since that's what the form requested. It also requested this death, so I can't take credit. It's always a huge help when people send Bloodbaths in, so that was cool. Thanks Only1God for being the real MVP, and also for making Odeda seem so hardcore and then killing her XD**

 **31st place: Mary Ellen Westley- Head smashed by Ash**

 **I had this stroke of inspiration when I realized I could kill Mary Ellen and help Ash not be so boring at the same time. Mary Ellen was overconfident and abrasive, so I killed her. It was also a satisfying turnaround. Thanks Hollyhobbit for letting me use Mary Ellen again, and rest assured she's as odious as ever.**

 **30th place: Rapture Kai- Stabbed by Lottie**

 **I knew people would underestimate Lottie. In this scenario, her chubby frame gives her more heft. She's built like a linebacker, and she can do a lot of damage. I decided to kill Rapture first this time because Diamond has always been just his companion. This time I wanted to see what she could do with the focus on her. Thanks Jms2 for Rapture and Diamond is still going strong.**

 **29th place: Tally Sandpiper- Knifed by Venus**

 **I always end up cracking and letting some Tributes through that should have died in the Bloodbath. This time I hardened my heart. Tally didn't belong here, and Ole will mourn her deeply. Thanks Everlastingimpression for a pair of involved and very different Tributes.**

 **28th place: Kaliana Reese- Knifed by Akari**

 **Kaliana was in the same boat as Tally. She wasn't strong enough to win and she was just vastly overpowered among these Tributes. She was a nice girl and I wish we could have gotten to know her better. She'd make a cool fanfic, just not in a Careers Games. Thanks Olivia for a quiet and introspective Tribute who saw beauty rather than violence.**

 **27th place: Charmaine Vale- Stabbed by Whyte**

 **Whyte's gonna regret that. He hardly had time to see who he stabbed in all the chaos. Charmaine was another of the gentler Careers. I couldn't get her back to her mother, so I did the best I could. Thanks Starrymidnight16 for a Tribute that didn't add more bombast to an already larger than life group of Tributes.**

 **26th place: Tritium Paine- Shot by Aversa**

 **I went lighter on the males this time because there are so many more girls. It was plain statistics. Tritium was woefully underprepared for how far the Careers had advanced in thirty years. He had skills, but they weren't up to this new standard. Thanks Jospehm611 for Tritium. He had a cool personality and backstory. He just couldn't win.**

 **25th place: Orren Daphne- Shot by Jynx**

 **Orren seemed really powerful in theory, but I killed him out of practicality. He was so singleminded he never even thought to watch out for other Careers that could kill him. A really powerful villain has to have means, not just a motive. He would have dominated a normal Games, but the other Careers weren't even scared of him. Thanks Everlastingimpression for providing a cool villain. I just already have more than enough.**

 **As for Daisy... my little sister's Tributes generally get a pass through the Bloodbath to balance out the fact that they're pretty much not going to win. If she's super popular I'll consider it, but otherwise it wouldn't be fair and she's a dead girl walking.**


	23. After the Bloodbath

Floki Grimm POV

Ole and I ran off to the left, toward one of the long military-style buildings. We skipped the closest ones and continued to the one on the end, since the pack would probably claim the closest one for themselves. We ran inside and shut the door behind us. The cannons still hadn't started yet, so most of the others were still fighting.

"We need to bar the door," Whyte said. There was a broom closet right by the entrance, and I stuck the broom inside the door handles. It wouldn't hold long and it wasn't the only entrance. We had to keep working. We went further into the building to get more information.

It looked like living quarters or something. Ratty mattresses on metal frames lined both sides of a long hall, and there was a bathroom at the other side. Fortunately for our purposes, military buildings are made to withstand invasion. Aside from a side entrance from the second floor, the front door was the only way in. The windows were too small for anyone to get through.

"We got water," Whyte said as he turned on the faucet in the bathroom. I opened a box in the corner of the bed hall and found rectangular brown packages. I picked one up and read the label. C _hicken ala King,_ it said.

"We got food," I said.

"They don't want us to worry about anything but each other," Whyte said. The cannons started to sound.

* * *

Ole Rogers POV

She just fell, like a vase that got tipped over. One second she was whole, and then she was gone. I picked up a bow and turned to see her, but she was already gone. The past happened all over again, and I thought I must have been about to die, but it never came. I wanted to go to her and comfort her, but she was already gone.

I had to get away from there. I kept running, past all the buildings. I ran until the camp was far behind me and there was nothing but forest. I couldn't bear to face what had happened. I'd failed again, and because of me, someone was dead. Did I even deserve to live? Hatchet deserved it, and so did Tally. But why would I deserve it? I was a killer, and the only people I didn't kill were the people that murdered Hatchet and Tally.

I couldn't even hear the screaming from the woods. I heard the cannons. There were seven of them. More of them than usual, which could be expected. I only cared about one. And with Tally gone, the only Tribute I cared about was Floki. I wondered if those green eyes were still open, those eyes that reminded me of someone else I lost.

I shouldn't think about him. I was a curse to everyone I met. He was better of away from me.

* * *

Glaudius Gold POV

I was out of my league in the buildings around the Cornucopia. The others had training I could only dream of. As it was, I'd barely made it out of the Bloodbath. I took a sword and ran. A knife hit the back of my knee as I fled. It wasn't deep enough to take me down, but I was limping by the time the cannons started.

For me, the Games weren't about winning anymore. All I could hope to do was survive. There were two main choices: the camp or the woods. I was heading for the woods when I saw a third option. There were two water towers on the other side of a cluster of trees. With these competitors, the Games wouldn't last long enough for me to need food. The others would look for their kills in the buildings or the trees. No one would look in a water tower.

I hated how exposed I was as I climbed the ladder. If anyone saw me, there was nowhere to run. The hatch leading into the tower wasn't locked. There wasn't any reason for it to be. I clambered inside and sat on a platform above the water. It would last me years, not that it needed to. After all my bravado and training, hiding was my only hope.

* * *

Camille Buchanere POV

I hated running. But I was alone in the Bloodbath, and I had to. I found a rapier and a dagger and barely got past Rapture as he was running toward someone. Olivine slashed at me as I left the pile of swords. Neither of us could risk a real fight, so I left with only a long cut on one arm, and she got out with just a stabbed left hand.

I also hated that I had to go to the woods. I would have preferred to stay in a warm dormitory, but it had to be done. I reached a pine forest and looked behind to make sure no one was following me. The coast was clear, and I started to climb up a low hanging tree so I could see what was going on.

The most interesting thing wasn't the Bloodbath, though that was still raging. Out deeper in the forest, there was a pack of white animals. They were like dogs, but they were topheavy and massively muscular. They were running in formation, like they were soldiers. They all wore spiked collars and they were heading for the main complex. They shouldn't have been particularly scary, but for some reason they were, and I was glad they didn't see me. I didn't realize until they were already far away that they were running in step.

* * *

 **No deaths yet, since this is immediately after the Bloodbath. It's also the first appearance of our first Muttation. There's going to be more this time around. There are four branches in the military, which might be significant. I would have saved these for last since they're the coolest, but it had to be this way. Who's first to fight and last to leave? The Marine Corps. And there's no better representative than a Devil Dog.**


	24. Teufelhunden

**I forgot Hunter and Priscilla were allied. That's why they're together now.**

* * *

Arielle Ermin POV

When there was no one in range anymore, we started to pack up and move camp. Normally we could shelter in the Cornucopia, but that wouldn't work this time. It was surrounded by two-story buildings. An archer could sit in any of them and target us one by one. We had our pick of the surrounding buildings, and we chose the one behind the Cornucopia. It was a sparse dormitory stocked with water and food. This would be a war, not a battle.

Other than Odeda, we were in good shape. Venus was unscathed, of course. I would have preferred her to go over Odeda. Aversa had a gash in her leg from Troy's spear, but it wasn't serious. I took a punch from Ash before he got to his real weapon, so I got off light. It was just a bruise. Akari's head was bleeding impressively, but it was really just a scratch. She must have parried a blow a second too late.

"I'll look for the nurse's office," I said. I poked around the barren concrete building until I found a room labeled _Medical._ I stopped at the doorway when I saw a drop of blood on the floor.

"Venus," I called. She came and I carefully checked between the door crack before I leaned in, ready to retreat if someone sprang out.

There was a girl lying by an upset shelf of medical supplies. A blood-covered, broken spear shaft was lying next to her. Her body shuddered as she pressed a wad of bandages to her perforated stomach. It was likely too late to help her, and I wouldn't if I could have. I was just glad she was about to die on her own. I would have thought Venus would be all over her, but she just watched with intense fascination. She was bending over for a closer look when the girl's cannon sounded.

* * *

Nadia Nette POV

There was something worse than the Games. There was two Games. I made it to the building, but it was too late to do anything. There was so much blood around me. I wasn't sure if there was any left in my body.

Something darkened the corner of my vision as I started to shudder. I sensed something evil beside me, but it was too late for that, too. It didn't get to me in time, and I died easily.

* * *

Priscilla Piscot POV

Hunter and I broke for the woods. There were only two of us, and we weren't looking for a fight. We ducked under the thick branches of a pine tree, which barely skimmed the ground and made a protective wall around us.

A deafening, echoing bark sounded from some distance away, and Hunter poked his head up to look. Normally he wouldn't make himself visible if a Muttation might be around, but this one sounded like a dog. If that was the case, we could climb the tree to get away from it, and there was no use hiding when a dog could smell us from a mile away.

It wasn't one dog. It was a whole herd. They barked again in unison as they barreled toward the Cornucopia. One looked over, and it locked eyes with him. It broke off from the pack and ran toward us, staring right at him the whole time.

"Gotta go up," Hunter said. I followed as he climbed up the thick, close-set branches of the tree. The dog reached the bottom of the tree and I thumbed my nose at it.

"What you gonna do abo-OH SHIIIIIII-"

* * *

Hunter Dubchen POV

It wasn't as bad as the bad, but there was something horrifically unnatural about a dog climbing a tree. The muscles in its massive arms rippled as it pulled itself up the branches that were so thick they were almost stairs. Foamy drool clung to its mouth as it growled and snapped. It clawed up with terrible speed, reaching us in half a minute as we tried to get higher.

"Get away! Get away!" I yelled as I slashed at it with my sword. It never reacted to any of my strikes, even as they shredded its fur and scored its flesh. Priscilla shrieked as she stuck her knife into it over and over, but it didn't seem to know she was there. Its gaze never left me and all its bites were aimed at me. When Priscilla figured that out she doubled her efforts and tried to pull it away from me with both arms, but it wouldn't be deterred. It latched onto my side and shook me like a doll even as I slashed it. Priscilla kicked its muzzle and knocked its head sideways, but it didn't let go. I was so close to it I could hardly work my sword, so I punched it straight in the nose and tore at its jowls with my fingers. I tried to push it away and its weight shifted off the branch. It dragged me down as it fell, and I landed heavily on top of it. The impact and my weight should have stunned it, but it absorbed the blow and kept tearing at me.

I heard Priscilla screaming and clambering toward us when it let go to adjust its hold. It twisted around me and settled its bulk on my chest as it bit into my throat and started shaking again. It was still better than the bat.

* * *

 **24th place: Nadia Nette- Speared by Chantal**

 **Nadia was a late addition, which was fine, but it inevitably meant it was harder to get to know her. I didn't kill her in the Bloodbath because I felt bad we barely connected with her. When I realized that I tend to forget that most Tributes probably get wounded in the Bloodbath and some likely die of their wounds, that merged perfectly with Nadia. She wasn't strong in this group of Tributes, and it would have happened eventually. Thank you guest who submitted Nadia. She was cool. In a normal Games she would have lasted longer.**

 **23rd place: Hunter Dubchen- Killed by a Devil Dog**

 **Someone had to get killed by the Devil Dog. It happened to be Hunter, who has really bad luck with Muttations. He never had the killing heart of most Careers. He had the skill, so he tended to last a long time, but he never had the cruelty to win. This time he got unlucky. On the bright side, he never had to see nightfall. Thanks Annietreasure for letting us use Hunter again, even though I don't think you're here.**

 **As for the mutts, they are most definitely stronger for these Careers. Once a Devil Dog has a target, _it can't die_ until it gets its quarry. It won't stop chasing you, no matter what. You can run, you can hide, but it's no use fighting. Maybe now the Careers know how the other Tributes feel about them. A Devil Dog targets the first person it sees. If you can kill everyone else in the Games before it gets you, you win. They are inspired by this horribly terrifying computer game I used to play in the 90s called Runner. Screw that game.**


	25. Reconnaissance

**I've been thinking of Diamond as a companion to Rapture, but I was wrong. She's her own character, and she'll be getting more development and appearances from now on.**

* * *

Diamond Kai POV

I didn't even know who killed him. In all the chaos, I didn't see who stole my brother from me. I wanted to hunt whoever it was down and make them pay, but I couldn't. It was worse than dying, and it was worse than the bat.

I'd been so selfish. I'd wanted to die first so I wouldn't have to lose my brother, even though it meant passing the same fate to him. I'd wanted to spare myself pain at the expense of the person I loved more than anything else in the world. It was my fault he was ever here in the first place.

Rapture looked up to me. I was his big sister, the coolest person in the world. When I first started at the Academy, he circled the building waving a wooden sword. He could barely reach the doorknob, but he was convinced he was killing Tributes just like his big sister. He was grown when he died- a full-grown man, taller than me- but he never stopped being my little brother. That's what I saw when I held his body in my arms- a little boy who loved his big sister.

It would be insulting to console myself by saying Rapture would want me to live. Rapture was dead. He didn't want anything anymore. I wasn't going on because I was brave or because I wanted to win it for him. I went on because I was selfish. I didn't want to die, even though living was probably more painful. I didn't want to die, even if it meant killing other people. I wasn't the hero Rapture thought I was. And I was selfish enough to be glad he died before he could see it.

* * *

Chantal Ivingin POV

The Cornucopia was quiet in the first hours after the Bloodbath. The hovercrafts came to pick up the bodies, and we didn't want to fight while caught in the downdrafts. There was a lull in the fighting as the alliances staked out their territory and fortified their camps. I didn't have allies, so I'd have to camp in the woods. However, traveling alone made it easier for me to sneak between camps. I'd sleep in the woods each night, but most of my days would be spent creeping through the buildings and hunting.

At the moment, I was in the woods. I was traveling parallel to the buildings, seeing how far the woods went and noting the places where I could sneak closest without being seen. I was looking through the trees at the main pack's building when something screamed above my head. It wasn't a Tribute, and I barely had time to turn my face up before something light but forceful slammed onto the top of my head. Sharp claws raked my face and I reared back, batting at the thing. I threw it off me onto the ground and got a good look at it.

It was a white bird with sharp claws and a hooked beak. It was as large as an eagle but its shape was different. It landed with its wings askew but picked itself back up and launched back at me. I batted it aside with my spear and retreated when I saw half a dozen more flying toward us from the open skies over the buildings. I stabbed the first bird in the wing as it tried to rip into me with its beak and fled into the deeper woods. I was already streaming blood from my head, and at any time the others would come out to see what the noise was. The birds couldn't follow me through the thicker trees, and they stayed at the edge of the woods, screaming at me. If they acted the same with the other Tributes, I wouldn't have to do so much hunting after all.

* * *

Marley Xander POV

We all made it. It was practically more than we could hope for, but none of us had been prepared to think of anything else. We were one of the largest alliances, but with the pack still lurking out there, it was good to think defensively. We set up camp in the dormitory on our building's second floor. It was across the Cornucopia from Arielle and the others, so we'd always be able to see each other. No doubt we'd be lobbing arrows at each other soon.

The dormitory was the perfect place for a long war. It was connected to a bathroom that didn't have a rear exit. That meant we never had to leave for either water or food, since there was a package of meals by one of the beds. When we wanted to sleep, we could push two of the beds in front of the only door as a barricade. As long as we stayed between the windows, nothing could get us.

"Hey, look at this," Ava said. She pointed to a sign beside the door. We gathered around and read it.

 _ATTENTION RECRUITS!_

 _Reveille at 0600_

 _Beds must be neatly made and sheets washed daily_

 _NO sleeping on fire watch!_

"What's all that supposed to mean?" Olivine asked.

"Beats me," Lottie said. "It was nice of them to give us sheets, though."

It was going to be fun hunting and all, but the best part would be hanging out at camp with the girls. Except for the death, murder and constant terror, it was just like a sleepover.

* * *

 **Next to appear is the Air Force. Their mascot is a falcon, which made things easy for me. For once, the Tributes in the woods have an advantage.**


	26. First Blood

**It isn't really first blood, since like six people have died already. It was just a cool title.**

* * *

Jynx Susurrus POV

"We camping in the woods or what?" Victory asked as we kept moving. The central comples was far too crowded and dangerous to stay in. We had to find somewhere else.

"I had a different idea," I said. I pointed to a stone tower barely visible over the horizon.

"I noticed that when the platforms came up. It's gotta be the highest point in the Arena. Where better for an archer?" I asked.

"Where better for a swordsman?" Victory asked. "But really, that's a good idea." I felt horribly exposed as we made our way, but clearly no one else had picked our destination, and we got there without a hitch.

"This must be the entrance," I noted when I saw the gate by the stone tower. It didn't take a genius to figure out we were on the edge of the Arena, and what would happen if we tried to go farther.

"There's nothing in here," Victory said after we got inside. It was just an empty watchtower, without any supplies or accomodations. We gained seclusion and safety, but at the cost of food and water. We'd have to find those things for ourselves, which put us at a disadvantage.

"At least no one will be able to get in," I said. The tower was made to keep military-level threats out. It would be impenetrable for a bunch of teenagers with spears. We'd found our home, or else we'd found our tomb.

* * *

Troy Cahill POV

The peace couldn't last much longer. With three Career alliances within two hundred feet of each other, battle was inevitable. Cierra and I were checking the barricades and safety precautions as Steel looked over a schematic of the main camp she'd found in a desk.

"Here's us, the pack, and Marley and the others," she said as she pointed out our various positions. "We can't stay here long. We're the weakest alliance of the three, and they'll come for us first. I expect the pack will strike first." I couldn't help but think of who it was that led us to this building, but she obviously wasn't going to mention that.

"It would be best to wait until nightfall, but they won't give us that long," Steel continued. She got up and walked toward the other end of the hall.

"We'll have to run past Marley's building. None of them use short-" her words cut off in a sharp cry as an arrow flew through the narrow window beside her and lodged into her side. She dropped into a crouch and crawled away from the window, leaving a blood trail.

"Are you okay?" Cierra asked as she ran to help. She dragged Steel up against the wall and out of range. I checked to make sure I wasn't near any windows, then knelt by them.

"It's okay. It must have hit a rib," Steel said. Her voice was pained and her face was pale, but she wasn't dying. "We still have to go. They're probably coming right now to see who they got. Take the map."

I hauled Steel to her feet and she gasped. She could walk, but it was going to slow her down. I knew Cierra would stay with her to the end, but I wasn't sure how I'd react. I had a life to live, too. I couldn't waste it helping someone who would probably die anyway.

* * *

Priscilla Piscot POV

I was still climbing down the tree when I heard Hunter's cannon. After that, it was a long time before I climbed the rest of the way. I would have stayed up there forever if it wasn't for two things. One, the rest of the mutts were already halfway across the Arena. Two, I wasn't safe in the tree anyway.

The hovercraft wouldn't come when I was still so close, so Hunter was still there when I reached the ground. I wanted to say something, but I could barely look at his bloodied remains without crying. I shuddered at the thought of touching his cold, waxy skin, and my heart ached as I left him alone.

I wanted to get as far away from the buildings as possible. Even if I'd wanted to, I could hardly have done any damage against the powerhouse alliances there. But I didn't want to. I just wanted the game to be over.

When I heard something behind a tree, I thought it was one of the mutts. I shrieked and turned to run, since there was no stopping those things. I was so scared I didn't look where I was going, and I turned right into a tree, knocking myself onto my butt. A spear flew over my head and stuck into the tree where I'd just been. I followed its shaft back to Chantal. Her arm was still out in a throwing stance, and blood was caked onto a strip of fabric tied around her head.

It wasn't a game. I was about to die, and survival instincts took over. I ran at Chantal and plowed into her. We both fell over and I raised my knife-wielding arm over my head. I plunged it into her chest and pulled it back to strike again. Its blade was red with blood as I stuck it into her again and again.

I never should have picked a knife as my weapon. It took too long and caused to much pain. It wasn't fun at all. It was the worst game I'd ever played.

* * *

Chantal Ivingin POV

I knew I was in grave danger when I saw Priscilla. I'd lost just enough blood to affect my balance, and the blood around my eye skewed my depth perception. I struck before she turned around because I didn't want to fight her head-on. I was right. After I missed, she ran at me and it was only a matter of time. After she stabbed me half a dozen times, she blanched in horror and ran away.

It took a long time to die. I had time to ruminate on my performance and my demise. I didn't even last a day. Pretty pathetic, really. But then, the people must have thought I was good. They brought me back twice. They might do it again, and even if they didn't, they'd remember me. Far longer than I'd even been alive, they'd remember me.

* * *

 **22nd place: Chantal Ivingin- Knifed by Priscilla**

 **Basically I didn't want all day to go by with no deaths since that didn't make any sense with a bunch of Careers. Chantal was a strong Tribute but sometimes luck turns bad. She did great in her first two Games. If she comes back, she'll likely do great again. It was getting hard to continue her arc of constant improvement, so if she comes back I'll have to find something else. Thanks to Chantal's submitter, who submitted her so long ago I wasn't keeping notes back then.**


	27. Actually First Skirmish

Aversa Jewel POV

"I got her! Come on, let's go mop up the rest!"

Steel's alliance had no business sharing the camp with mine and Marley's. They were a bunch of second-stringers and cops. As soon as we got all our stuff together we were planning to take them out, and it was finally time. The others gathered up their weapons and we set out.

We were cautious as we approached Steel's building. No one in her alliance used long-range weapons, but that didn't mean they _couldn't._ We watched the windows carefully as we got closer.

Akari was the first one inside the building. She muttered something angrily and we poured in after her. The building was empty. A trail of blood droplets led out the door on the opposite side. We followed them and I caught a glimpse of three figures running off when I looked through a window.

"There they go!" Arielle said. We charged out after them. They were running down the row of buildings toward the one at the end. They were almost there, but Steel was lagging behind. I was more focused on Troy and Cierra. Steel was wounded and couldn't have fought us off even at her best. Arielle must have thought the same thing, since her throw was aimed at Cierra. Her trident stuck into Cierra's back, and she fell.

We were starting to catch up to the others when the mutts came. Arielle shouted and pointed behind her at the approaching herd of dogs. I had no idea what they were, but I didn't want to find out. Akari threw one last knife at Troy, and it nicked his shoulder. We broke off the attack and retreated toward our building as the dogs ran closer. One of them looked right at me and changed directions. Another chased after Troy and Steel, and the rest ran between us without stopping and continued across the Arena.

"Guys, that dog looks really pissed!" I yelled as we ran for the door. We darted inside and slammed the door shut on the mutt. It slammed itself into the door over and over, scratching and biting at the metal. I thought it would get bored and leave eventually, but it just kept going. Akari threw a knife into its head, but it didn't notice. All we could do was hunker down and wait it out. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Cierra Daline POV

My friends were okay. That was the most important thing. I saw Steel and Troy run into the building and shut the door as Aversa and the others turned back as the dogs ran by. I wouldn't have been able to stop them if they'd attacked me, but they paid me no attention. They must have had somewhere else to be.

I could bear dying. I'd done it before. It wasn't so bad. I was just glad Steel and Troy were okay. She was so smart, and he was so strong and cunning. Surely one of them would win. I'd like that.

* * *

Mist Hastings POV

What was all this? I felt like I'd been gone from my body so long I could barely remember who I was. I was stuck in some sort of military campground, and people were dying.

I thought things were going back to normal when I saw the dogs. A herd of monstrous dogs was more familiar to me than the rest of this. As familiar as they were, I didn't want to be any closer to them. I liked my new, quiet life. I didn't have to always be scared of the ghosts and monsters. For whatever reason, most of them were gone.

I kept walking until I found a house. It was small and white, and it wasn't like the rest of the drab buildings. I hoped I didn't find anyone inside. Everyone here seemed to be dangerous. I opened the door and stepped inside the house. It was empty. I hoped whoever owned it didn't mind that I was staying there.

I found a bedroom upstairs and tried to collect my scattered memories. I was Mist Hastings. I lived in District Four. I used to have a friend name Troy. I might have killed him. There were a lot of horrible things that seemed too terrible to be true. I knew some were and some weren't, but I wasn't sure which.

The most important thing was surviving. The longer I lasted, the more I could figure out. When I got back home, if I ever did, I could find out what was going on. Until then, I had to stay hidden and live.

* * *

Daisy Stem POV

I didn't want to be near the buildings with all the other Careers. Since there wasn't any food or water in the Cornucopia, it had to be somewhere else. I didn't know about food, but I could probably find some water in one of the giant red water towers I saw behind some trees.

I climbed the ladder to the nearest one and pulled open the hatch. A sword shot out and nearly cut my head off. I almost fell off the platform on top of the ladder, and I scrambled to a crouch behind the door.

"Good gracious! Sorry!" I blurted. I slammed the hatch shut and scampered down the ladder. I hadn't known that water tower was taken. There was another one beside it, and I moved over there without giving the current occupant any more trouble. There was plenty of space for both of us. I'd stay on my side of the fence.

I was more cautious entering the other water tower. Luckily, no one was in it. The Tribute from the first water tower must not have wanted a fight any more than I did, since he never even came out of the hatch. I nestled myself into my new home and made plans to fix it up a little once it was dark out. I could use some of the branches from the nearby pine trees to soften the floor, and I'd have to find some food, too. I couldn't exactly ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar.

* * *

 **21st place: Cierra Daline- Trident thrown by Arielle**

 **Cierra was one of the nicest Careers here. That was a huge disadvantage. If she'd run ahead of Steel, she probably would have made it, but that wasn't like her. She got caught in the Games because of a moment's mistake, and instead of becoming a monster, she died as herself. Thanks Kkfanatic for Cierra. She had the skills to win. She just didn't have the cruelty.**

 **The mutt that ran after Steel and Troy has targeted Steel. However, there are some things the Devil Dogs can't do. They can't climb ladders or most trees, just really low set pine trees with multiple close-packed branches. They can't bust through walls. They'll stay by doors until they gnaw through them, but will take all day. They can smell their target, but they're not as fast as most dogs, since they're so massive. Long story short, it's possible to elude them as long as you stay ahead of them. It's just really hard.**


	28. The Evil is Gone

**Charmaine Vale-** Glaudius Gold

I poked my head out of the water tower and watched the faces blink by. Charmaine was like me. We were both outmatched and shouldn't have been here. I was just luckier.

* * *

 **Tritium Paine-** Victory Amarinthine

 _He was one of the first ones, wasn't he? That seems symbolic or something. Like we were never supposed to be here._

* * *

 **Rapture Kai-** Diamond Kai

I savored every second I got to see his face again. He was the way he should have been: smiling and waiting for the next adventure.

* * *

 **Hunter Dubchen-** Priscilla Piscot

He didn't have to play the game anymore. He was one of the lucky ones.

* * *

 **Mary Ellen Westley-** Ash Smith

Who's laughing now?

* * *

 **Cierra Daline-** Steel Keshmin

Cierra was following me. I lead her to her death. It was every Peacekeeper's nightmare. Why did the Capitol let this happen? I wanted to keep peace, not make war.

* * *

 **Chantal Ivingin-** Akari Igneous

 _My little sisters played as I watched from a doorway. I had to be strong. I had to protect them._

The tear on my cheek wasn't from Chantal's face. She was strong, and I was sorry she went so early. But I had other things on my mind.

* * *

 **Odeda Titan-** Arielle Ermin POV

I don't know what we were thinking when we let her into our alliance. Of course, Aversa brought a demon dog who was still banging on our door. At least Odeda didn't do that.

* * *

 **Tally Sandpiper-** Ole Rogers

I turned away and didn't look.

* * *

 **Kaliana Reese-** Mist Hastings

She came from Four, just like me. We could have been friends.

* * *

 **Nadia Nette-** Aversa Jewel

She had a lot of grit to get all the way inside with that wound. It's a good thing someone got to her before she got to us.

* * *

 **Orren Daphne-** Jynx Susurrus

 _Good riddance to bad rubbish._

* * *

Aversa Jewel

I was on watch, not that I could sleep with that dog scratching at the door. It couldn't possibly get in, but the racket was unsettling, to say the least. My hour was almost up, and then I could pretend to get some rest.

"Hey Venus, your turn," I said as I stood by her bed. Her eyes opened and she sat up silently. I walked past the door to my bed, rolling my eyes at the growling coming from the other side. I was halfway to my bed when Venus' knife stuck into the back of my neck, coming out the other side of my throat. A soft squeak came from me as blood bubbled around the blade and prevented any more noise. Venus pulled the knife back out and I toppled over sideways. I saw her heading for Akari's bed as everything started to fade. I knew there was something wrong with that girl.

* * *

Akari Igneous POV

I'm sure we were all barely dozing. None of us trusted anyone, not even each other. Something rang an alarm in my head, and I shot up immediately. I saw Venus coming toward me with a bloody knife even as I realized what was bothering me: the dog wasn't scratching anymore. But I had more important things to worry about. Aversa was bleeding out on the ground and Venus was going for her next kill.

"Hey!" I shouted as I jumped out of bed and grabbed for a knife. Arielle started at the noise and stood up across the hall from us. Venus pulled back a knife to throw and I whipped my blanket at her like a net. She tore it off just as Arielle smashed into her from the side, burying her trident in her shoulder blade. Venus staggered sideways, in front of a window facing the rear of the camp. I ran at her to get inside her throw and pushed her back against the wall. She hit the sill of the glassless window and toppled backwards through it. I heard the thump as she hit the ground after falling two stories. Arielle and I leaned into the window to see her. She was flat on the ground, eyes closed and with blood still flowing from her shoulder.

A cannon sounded before we got to Aversa, who was obviously dead. Arielle paused at the door.

"The dog's not scratching anymore," she said.

"I guess it wanted her," I said. I put an ear to the door to make sure it wasn't just laying low, then cautiously opened it. The hallway was empty. Arielle went back to the window and gasped.

"What is it?" I asked. She pointed out the window and I joined her. Venus was gone.

* * *

 **20th place: Aversa Jewel- Knifed by Venus**

 **Yeah, it wasn't a good idea to ally with Venus. Aversa was one of the more abrasive Careers, but I didn't kill her in the Bloodbath because she had the skills. I had this split planned from the start, and Aversa was the one that died on the way. Thanks Redroses1000 for Aversa. She was a more conventional Career, but that didn't make her boring.**

 **I published this real quick because I had to go to McDonalds with my family (A tragedy, I know). Now I can finish my note and say Venus fell two stories, but that's not too high really. I used to jump out of a two-story barn onto hay bales. It would hurt, for sure, but Venus never really cared about that.**


	29. Let Slip the Dogs of War

Olivine Martinez POV

"You can do it! You can do it! Go, Ava!"

Marley and Lottie were cheering as Ava tried to eat her MRE. They were better than I expected, especially after I picked through and found the good ones. The beef strips tasted like dog food, but the chicken a la king was palatable. Lottie declared the spaghetti and meatballs the best and picked one for Ava. Ava had a plastic fork with a single noodle speared on it. She stared at it as it was halfway to her mouth- the same place it had been for ten minutes.

"It's so unhealthy. Isn't there anything else?" she asked.

"There's cookies," Marley said. She held up a bag of sugar cookies that came with the package. They were decorated like Panem's flag.

"That's even worse," Ava said. She looked back at her fork and tensed her muscles. She glared at the biteful of food and brought it an inch closer.

"You have to be strong for the alliance," I said. "You're going to lose weight anyway, no matter how much you eat. Every Victor has."

I could see the pain in Ava's eyes and I wondered what she was thinking. Did she already think she was a bloated whale, and every noodle made it worse? Maybe she thought we liked her _now,_ but not after we saw how ugly she was. But of course, she wasn't.

I saw how brave Ava was when she swallowed the noodle. For the good of the alliance she would eat, even if it meant we hated her forever. Lottie and Marley cheered and slapped hands.

"Round _two!"_ Lottie said. Ava knitted her brows and looked out the window.

"Shouldn't we check on whose cannons those were earlier?" she asked.

"Not until we've all eaten. And that might take a while. All day, if it has to," Marley said as she looked at the rest of the spaghetti. Normally, I would have agreed with Ava. If the pack had fought with another alliance and potentially lost members, it was the perfect time to attack. But this was more important.

* * *

Steel Keshmin POV

The pack was off our trail, but something worse was on it. It didn't look good for me and Troy, and it especially didn't look good for me.

"You should go," I told my only remaining ally. Even if the mutt hadn't been there, I hardly felt worthy to lead him. Cierra thought I knew everything. She would have followed me anywhere, and I led her to her death.

"Without you?" Troy asked. He sounded more surprised than reluctant. I didn't blame him. We all wanted to live.

"I'll slow you down. I'll be okay," I said. Nothing made sense anymore. I devoted my life to the Capitol and they sent a hellbeast after me. They killed Cierra, and there was nothing evil about her. They rewarded the murderers and killed their best citizens. Panem was different that the country I grew up with.

Troy looked at the door, which was shuddering under the dog's attack.

"I'll bang on the door so it thinks we're there. You sneak out the window," I said. I sat with my side to the door and pressed on my wound with one had while I pounded the door with the other. Troy started out the window and paused halfway out.

"Take care, all right?" he said.

"I'm not done yet," I said. He disappeared and I kept up the barrage until he was a safe distance away. When he was gone, I limped up the stairs and shut another door between me and the dog. I stripped a sheet from one of the beds and started bandaging my wound.

I'd been through worse. I clawed my way over a ten foot wall with nothing but fingernails and grit. I ran until soupy water surged into my mouth, then swallowed it and kept running. I'd fought cadets twice my size and gotten my ass kicked more times than I could count. I'd never quit yet, and I never would.

A parachute with a box underneath it blew through a window on a sudden stiff wind. I'd thought Panem had abandoned me, but someone still cared. I applied the medicine I found inside and planned my next move.

* * *

Victory Amarinthine POV

I didn't like being outside our hideout, but we had to find food eventually. Our plan was to sneak into the woods and find some plants. It seemed like most of the Tributes were in the buildings, so we didn't anticipate any difficulty. Before we got to the trees a giant falcon swooped down and almost carried me off. I stabbed it in the foot and it flew away. If we couldn't find any plants, plan B was to lure it back and shoot it.

We'd never had to deal with foraging before. I was in the pack last time, and there was so much food in the Arena that Jynx didn't have any trouble. I looked through half a dozen plants that all looked the same and tried to guess which looked the tastiest.

"Tori!" Jynx yelled from some distance away. His voice was urgent, and I bolted toward it. When I reached him, he was on the ground wrestling with Ash. He was holding his bow across his chest to block Ash as he tried to stab him with his sword.

"Hey! _You_ can't kill Jynx!" I yelled as I ran up to them. I kicked Ash in the side and knocked him off Jynx. I stabbed him before he could get up. Stab wounds were tricky, so I stabbed him again, but as I did, his cannon went off.

Jynx got up and checked his bow for damage.

"Thanks. That was looking pretty bad," he said. It was dirty, but I did what I had to. Jynx shouldered his bow and we started to leave, but he turned back to me.

"You didn't have to italicize the 'you', though."

* * *

Ash Smith POV

I go into the Bloodbath and get whacked by my ally. I come back and get blindsided by someone else's ally. Allies suck.

* * *

Whyte Roberts POV

Our first parachute contained a sword, and axe, and... nail polish.

"Heck is this?" I asked as I held up the bottle. Floki took it and read the label.

"It says 'Silver Claws'," he said. I snatched it back.

"Shut up! Silver Claws? It's gonna give us cat claws! Let's put it on!" I said. Floki and I sat cross-legged on the ground and started painting.

"I just _love_ this shade. It really brings out my eyes," Floki said in a Capitol accent. When he finished his right hand, I offered to do his left.

"I heard Taffeta say that Phoebus is seeing that skank Hysperia. _Obviously_ Persephone is right for him," I gossiped.

"Oh! You smudged it!" Floki yelped in falsetto. The high-pitched cry coming from such a macho man made me crack up entirely, and then all his nails were smudged.

"Real nice. Now I look like a hooker," Floki said.

When we were finished, we wanderd around for half an hour like zombies. Whenever we had to pick something up we looked like the poshest of gentlemen with our stiffly extended fingers. When the paint finally dried, we were bursting with excitement.

"Aw yeah, time to smash stuff up," I said. "Watch me carve my name into the wall." I curved my fingers into wicked claws and dragged my nails across the concrete.

Nothing happened.

"What was that?" Floki asked. We looked closer to see if we'd missed the claw marks.

"Wait a minute! This is just _nail polish!"_ I said. "It didn't give us claws at all!"

"We just painted our nails for nothing?" Floki said. They sent us normal nail polish? Who would do such a thing? Carnage and widespread loss of life was one thing, but this was serious. What was this world coming to?

* * *

 **19th place: Ash Smith- Stabbed by Victory**

 **Ash was a welcome stable personality among more flamboyant ones. Tributes like him help the Games progress normally. It didn't seem like anyone was particularly rooting for him and he mostly blended, so I killed him. Being a loner is a huge disadvantage this time. At least he got his revenge on Mary Ellen. Thanks Calebbeers for Ash. He wasn't larger than life and he was a standard Career. That didn't make him boring, just a nice balance.**


	30. This We Defend

**Ash Smith-** Troy Cahill

There were a lot more girls than boys this time. I guess pretty girls were more attractive to the Gamemakers than ugly old boys.

* * *

 **Aversa Jewel-** Arielle Ermin

We'd lost the advantage of numbers and now Marley's alliance knew it. We had to watch our step.

* * *

Lottie Parker

I was on watch. We were the largest alliance and I didn't expect any trouble, but it was possible that Akari, Venus and Arielle would try a sneak attack in the night, so I kept my ears pricked. It was horribly dull, though. There was nothing to do and nobody to talk to. It was the middle of the night and I had to get out of bed and wander the halls looking for monsters that weren't there.

I leaned against the wall and stared across the hall. At least I only had an hour left.

* * *

Ava Hanson

We all jolted up at the sound of a pained yelp. I grabbed my knife and we ran to Lottie's aid. I was first into the hall and saw her fighting a mutt the size of a small deer. Its skin was armored like a crocodile's and it had a bony tail. When I looked at the other end I saw it had long, twisted goat horns. Lottie was waving it off with her sword as blood poured from her nose.

"What is that thing?" she asked as she slashed at it.

"I don't know!" Marley said as we jumped in to help her. I stuck my knife into the mutt's side. It bleated and shied onto its hind legs. Olivine slashed down its side and the mutt ran down the hallway stairs and disappeared.

"Are you all right?" Olivine asked Lottie as she dabbed at her nose.

"I'm okay. I'm just all bruised. It headbutted me!" she said.

"Why would there be a mutt in the middle of a building?" Marley wondered aloud. I thought back to the sign I'd read earlier.

"Lottie... were you sleeping on fire watch?" I asked. She folded her arms and looked away.

"No! I just sat down for one minute. I was about to come and get Olivine for her turn," she said.

"Suuuuuuure," Marley said. She looked at Lottie askance.

"We have more important things here. My poor nose will never be the same. What will the boys do?" Lottie asked. After it was gone, we were all just glad it wasn't worse. It seemed that sign wasn't just for decoration. Now that we knew what could happen, we'd pay a little more attention.

* * *

Camille Buchanere POV

It was the second night, and more than half of us were still left. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but I was getting hungry. I'd planned on an alliance, which would have meant I could have been in the center of the Arena where there was presumably food. I should have been with a chivalrous young man who would help a lady in her need.

I could hardly see to find food in the night. I wouldn't have been able to see at all if the moon wasn't full. It had been full last night, too. Probably the Gamemakers didn't want the action to all stop at night. The center of the Arena was lit with corner lights, so the fighting never had to stop there.

Something stirred in the air. A breeze passed across my face, and I smelled something like the sea. I knew right away the Gamemakers had sent something. I saw a faint glow coming toward me. It was bouncing, as though some huge creature was galloping. I didn't need false bravery. I got ready to run, but the mutt was fast. In a moment, it was before me.

Someone in the Capitol was sick. I could never have thought of something so utterly wrong. The thing before me was like a horse, but everything good was gone from it. Vomit rose in my throat as the thing's smell hit me. It was the smell of wet bits and pieces found inside a body. The reason I could smell it turned my stomach and doused my courage. The mutt had no skin. Its slick body was covered in pulsing veins and stretched muscles. I could see yellow and black fluids traveling across its body, and I saw the tendons stretch and retract as it came closer.

I looked up at the mass on its back and whimpered. It was a rider, as skinless as the horse. Its empty eye sockets stared at me. My stomach shriveled as my eyes ran down the rider's body. It didn't end but merged into the horse, making a single being. Where the creature's front hooves should have been were two hands running across the ground. The rider was bent forward oddly, and I realized it was because its arms were the creature's legs. The horse's bleached, bloody skull held a single socketless eye. It made wet, sucking noises as it ran, like it wanted to scream but had no tongue.

I couldn't fight that thing. I stumbled backwards and tried to wave it off with my cutlass, but it paid my blade no attention. It wouldn't have to, of course. It didn't have any nerves. It ran at me and swung its head at me, knocking me over. It reared and brought its front legs down on my chest, and I heard bones cracking. It seized me with its fingers and crouched low to the ground, tearing at me with its blunt teeth. The rider on its back craned forward to join in the attack. I made noises I didn't know I could make as I tried to tear free of its grip. No ally could have saved me from this. Nothing could have saved me.

* * *

Priscilla Piscot POV

It wasn't a fair game. Nothing could fight against that. I tried to tell myself it was just another opponent, another opponent I had to beat to get back to Miall. For the first time, I was glad he wasn't with me. He didn't have to see that nightmare. _Nightmare._ That's what it was. A demon horse from out of the darkness. I didn't care if I forfeited the game. I ran. I heard its wet flesh sliding across itself as it followed.

"Together next time!" I yelled as the mutt closed in on me. Next time, me and Miall, or neither of us. I could live without him, but I didn't have to. They made me, for no reason at all. Let them kill me and raise me as they would. They could at least grant me that.

Ole Rodgers POV

A razor-toothed rictus ripped into my chest as hammerlike teeth tore my stomach into wet ribbons. I wondered if there was intelligence in the human skull above mine and pitied it. Its grotesque, perverted movements eroded my sanity with every second.

I thought of Ana, the girl I'd known so long ago. She'd died long before her time, and all that remained of her was a distant relative. All that remained was a boy like her in looks and more like her in spirit. The only other person I knew who spoke of ancient legends and warrior halls like they were true. I hoped he would win and pass on her spirit. I wanted her green eyes to go on forever.

I'd seen her die. I'd died once. I was about to die again. It was the same over and over. Let me die again and again, but never like this. Never again like this.

* * *

 **18th place: Camille Buchanere- Killed by mutt**

 **The Gamemakers didn't want Tributes hiding out in the woods, so they sent a mutt to get them. They already have their next target, and you can probably guess. Camille didn't get to her full potential because much of her form and development depended on an alliance. No one allied with her, so I couldn't fulfill those stories. I'm sorry it turned out that way and I hope if she gets into other All-Stars or stories that it goes better. Thanks PrinceofCorinth for Camille. I really liked her unique backstory and pirate-y personality. If she'd had her allies, things would have been cooler.**

 **17th place: Priscilla Piscot- Killed by mutt**

 **Priscilla was truly damaged by the loss of Miall. She was starting to get back to life, but it would have been with her forever. Since she was on her own in the woods, the mutt came for her. I might should have had Chantal kill her earlier, since Chantal was probably stronger. I always liked Priscilla, and I liked how she played the game. Her heart wasn't fully in it this time. If people submit her next time, I'll make sure to submit Miall if no one else does. She can live without him, like she did the first time, but now that she knows she doesn't have to, it's harder. Thanks Thebigpig for letting us use Priscilla again.**

 **16th place: Ole Rogers- Killed by mutt**

 **If Ole had crossed paths with Whyte and Floki, he would have joined up with them. Floki connected him to a past he thought was gone forever, and Floki would have enjoyed hearing about the connection. Ole was strong, but the standards are so much higher in this Arena. Now he never has to worry about failing anyone else again. Thanks Puddingg for Ole. I liked his compassionate backstory and human failings. He wasn't just a Career. He was also a person.**

 **I knew I wanted four mutts for the four military branches. It was all going fine when I started with the Marines. They had a devil dog. The Air Force had a falcon, which was harder but not by much. I went to read about the Navy and thought "Oh, they'll have a cool shark, right?" Nah. A goat. Since goats love water. I floundered a little and ended up making a goat mutt, which wasn't too dangerous but could do damage with that skull and those horns. I went on and thought "Okay that's weird but the Army probably has a bear or something." Freaking donkey. Their mascot is a donkey. How do you make a donkey scary? After much agony and despair, I was forced to delve into the deepest corners of my dark side. I was forced to resurrect a monster so creepy, so devilish, so just plain gross it made me shudder every time I remembered it.**

 **The Nuckelavee.**

 **The Nuckelavee comes from Scottish and Norse mythology. It's a nastyass skinless horse (in this case, donkey) with a conjoined rider, just like here. My resource said it was the worse demon of the Scottish islands. I can't imagine why. It can't cross running water, though, which would be great if the Arena had any. My apologies for telling you about that nasty thing and I will now make it worse by telling you that according to the folklore, every time you say its name it gets closer. You're welcome.**


	31. London Bridge is Falling Down

**I messed up Floki and Whyte's sponsor. They were supposed to get the polish first and then the weapons, like the sponsor was laughing at the show and then sending something to reward them for it.**

* * *

Daisy Stem

The pack must have been on the move last night. All those cannons went off, one after another. It happened after the Anthem, so nobody knew who they were yet. Except the ones who died.

I couldn't stay in the water tower forever. I had water, naturally, but I was getting really hungry. I'd have to venture out for food, and I knew I wasn't one of the stronger Tributes in this Arena. I was just turning to open the door when a bunch of bubbles floated up in the water below me.

 _What's that?_ I wondered as I looked at the bubbles. The water had always been calm before. Something dark followed the bubbles up and broke the surface. It was a box, with a wet, droopy parachute hanging off one side.

 _Oh, ha! They couldn't send it down since I'm in here, so they sent it up!_ I thought as I fished it out. I was hoping for food, and that was what I found. It wasn't the most practical, but it was what I wanted most: ice cream. There was a tall, fluted glass filled with layers of rainbow ice cream covered in sauces and whipped cream. I ate it all and got smudges all over my nose trying to lick every last bit up.

 _That can last a day if it has to. I can stay safe in here another day. Hopefully some people will die by then._ As I was putting the glass back in the box, the water tower shuddered and lurched. I leaned against the wall for balance and the entire tower fell over. Water splashed everywhere and I banged against the walls haphazardly, bruising myself all over. The grating I had been sitting on broke off the side and sank to the bottom, leaving me swimming. The hatch ended up six inches above my head, so I opened it and hauled myself out, shaken but mostly unhurt.

 _Okay, I guess I_ can't _stay in there for another day._

* * *

Glaudius Gold

It sounded like the Gamemakers had knocked both the towers over. I heard the crash and the reverberations through the ground before mine fell. The grating snagged my leg and dragged me under. It almost pinned me to the bottom before I pushed it off and swam back up. I paddled on the surface and looked around. I couldn't see the exit hatch anywhere.

I dove under the water and found it. It landed flat against the ground, barring my way out. There was no way I could move the tower or get out any other way. The walls were solid metal and all I had was a sword. My sword, meanwhile, was on the bottom next to the grate. I could get it if I needed, but it was too heavy to carry.

Right away I could see the danger. Without the grate, there was nothing to hold on to. The walls around me were wet and smooth. I felt around for any sort of hold, but there was nothing. Every time I lifted my arms above the water to reach for a hold, my weight pulled me under and I had to swim back up.

I didn't want to panic. I knew how to swim, since I'd focused on survival during my first time training. I wasn't amazing at it, though, since it was unlikely I'd need to do it for more than a few minutes in almost any Arena. I pulled my shoes off and tread water, trying to expend as little energy as possible. The water was lukewarm, so I stripped off my wet pants next, leaving me swimming in my underwear.

If someone didn't send me something, I knew I would die eventually. The time slipped by, and it got harder and harder to swim. I tried to push up against the side to support some of my weight, and I switched sides to give either arm a break. It went on for hours, and I knew no one was coming. I was only glad I didn't have to face some of the others outside the tower. They enjoyed this. They were fighting to kill, and they were monsters. I was just a boy, fighting a losing battle for my life.

* * *

Mist Hastings POV

This was the Hunger Games. I knew that. I was sick, at least I thought I was. Before I turned twelve and started to change into a woman, I wasn't like this. My earliest years were normal, and they reminded me how abnormal I got to be later. It wasn't that I'd lost my memories, really. It was just that they were so strange I thought they must not be true. I remembered thinking ghosts were following me and that there were monsters in my blood that I had to tear out. It seemed so real then, but now I could see how silly it was.

I'd thought I was exaggerating how scary the other Tributes were, but I could see I was right. I didn't know all of them, but all the ones whose names I recognized were Careers. I wasn't a Career, but I came from a Career District, so they must have added me in. If that was the case, I was in deep trouble. It was even worse than a normal Games. I was the only untrained girl in an Arena full of hunters. The first one that ran across me would kill me in a heartbeat.

All I could do was hide and hope they all had bigger fish to fry. I was so woefully untrained and helpless they probably never thought about me. If they thought I was still like I was before, they probably thought I'd wander off and fall off a building or something. If I stayed in my house and hid whenever anyone came near, I might be able to live. It was a horribly long shot, but it was my best one. At least I was good at hiding. All my life, things had been chasing me. This was just the first time they were real.

* * *

 **15th place: Glaudius Gold- Drowned**

 **The Gamemakers don't like Careers hiding and waiting. That was the next target I was talking about. It was just luck that Daisy's hatch landed within reach and Glaudius' didn't. Glaudius wasn't going to win anyway, and this way he didn't get killed by Venus or someone really scary. He did the best he could do and his strategy was the best plan for someone in his scenario. Glaudius' submitter was the only one I didn't write down for some reason, but thanks for Glaudius. You sent in someone from an older Games with realistic skills from that time period, even though that put him at a disadvantage. Good show.**

 **It seems like the Party Alliance has gone a long time without taking damage, but it's really only been two days. Things will happen, but the chapters cover a much shorter time period than in most stories because the Career Games move so much faster.**


	32. Clash of the Titans

Troy Cahill POV

I hadn't heard Steel's cannon yet as I retreated from the populous center of the Arena. I expected it any second, and yet I never expected it at all. There couldn't be any way to get away from that dog, but if anyone could, she could. I wasn't guilty about leaving. I wanted to live, the same as anyone else. All of us were willing to kill, even if it was just by surviving everyone else.

We were all fighting for our lives, but outside, the world went on. People were living normal lives, something none of us would ever do. I wanted what they had, and I wanted more. Every one of their lives was an adventure. I wanted to see all those things. I was tired of killing.

All the other Tributes must have felt the same. Maybe some wanted to start families, and others wanted to start businesses. We weren't all devoted Careers. A lot of us got pressured into it by eager families or District pressures. Careers had the biggest deathwish of anyone, and yet we wanted to live the most. We entered the Games to prove we could. All but one of us were wrong.

* * *

Arielle Ermin POV

It was embarrassing, but Akari and I had to retreat. If we stayed by Marley and the others, we'd be their first target and they'd annihilate us. We'd thought our alliances would meet in the first great battle of the Games, but it would be a slaughter at this point.

They must have guessed our thoughts, because we didn't get far. As we were sneaking out the back door, we heard them approaching our building. We crept along the outer back wall toward the next building as they entered the front of the building and bumped around. We saw Marley through the window above us. She saw us, too, and she yelled for the others. Akari threw a knife at her and she ducked out of sight.

We heard them running down the stairs as we bolted. It wasn't far to the next building, but Ava and Olivine were quick as cats. Olivine reached Akari just as she was pulling out another knife, and they started to grapple. Ava went for me and it was my trident against her dagger. Lottie and Marley were close on their heels, and I knew if we didn't get away fast we'd be dead in minutes.

I backed away with every blow. I couldn't afford to be brave, and I had to stay away from Lottie and Marley. I didn't know if I could beat Ava alone, and I definitely couldn't beat three. Ava's dagger locked against my trident and she pushed it down the shaft and across my arm, laying it open in a deep slash. I pushed the entire trident at her lengthwise like a shield, knocking her back and gaining me more distance. Someone cried out, and Ava turned to look. She jumped back when I immediately struck, and then she was running away from me.

* * *

Marley Xander POV

Lottie and I waited for the right moment to jump in. If we distracted Ava and Olivine, we could kill them by trying to help. They were both holding their own anyway. Akari was desperately trying to fend off Olivine's sword with her own knives, and Arielle was fighting defensively, not aggressively. I was trying to circle back around Akari when it happened.

Olivine slashed Akari's leg and she fell awkwardly. When she hit the ground, she threw a knife up at Olivine's throat. Olivine jerked her head aside and saved herself from a deathblow, but the knife sliced up her cheek and grazed her eye. Olivine gasped and drew back, and Akari threw another knife into her chest. Olivine staggered and bent over. Akari jumped up to deliver a final blow, but she didn't make it.

Lottie screamed and ran at Akari. She grabbed her by the throat and threw her like a stone against the wall of the building behind us. She smacked against it with a crack like a gunshot and lay gasping for breath on the ground. Lottie turned back and scooped Olivine up in her arms. She ran for our building, and all I could do was follow. I looked over my shoulder and saw Ava following as Arielle knelt by Akari trying to pull her up as she gripped her blood-covered arm.

Lottie carried Olivine upstairs and laid her in one of the beds. Her blood soaked the sheets as we tore strips of sheets to bandage it.

"Olivine, stay awake!" Ava cried, and she shook her. Olivine's skin was pale and her breath seemed shallow. Her hand fluttered and she clutched at her wound. Her eyes started to close, and Lottie slapped her.

"We're losing her," I said. It didn't seem possible. Just an hour ago, we were laughing and joking around. Now Olivine was fading and nothing we could do could stuff the life back into her.

* * *

Olivine Martinez POV

I could feel my insides were torn. Blood was everywhere. It flooded my lungs when I tried to breathe. I was drowning in myself. It was getting harder to see, but I could sense Marley, Ava and Lottie whirling around me and trying to keep me alive. For the first few moments, I hoped they'd make it, but as time went by, I knew it was impossible.

It felt like I was suffocating. My throat was blocked by bubbling liquid. I was tired. I wanted it to be over. It was strange how I'd ended up in this alliance. I'd taken the Games so seriously. I fought so hard last time. These girls were sweet and loving. They should have been my first targets, not my friends. I wanted one of them to win. I wanted them _all_ to win. I wanted to live longer not so I could win, but so I could be with them.

I turned my head and coughed out a mouthful of blood. I could barely move, but I raised my hand a foot off the bed. I tried to communicate my plea with my eyes, and Ava was the first to understand. She was crying as she took my hand, and she pulled the others in next to her. They squeezed in and their three hands covered mine.

"Stop it. You're not going to die," Marley said. It wasn't natural to see her crying, but I wouldn't have to see it long. I took in one clear breath as the blood started to flood my lungs again.

"I'm glad..." I said. _I'm glad you were my allies,_ I meant to say. I didn't have enough breath, but I knew they understood.

* * *

 **14th place: Olivine Martinez- Complications from Akari's knife wound**

 **Olivine changed as part of the Party alliance. It probably hurt her chances in the end, but she knew that. She found something better with her allies, and it was worth it to her. I wanted to write a longer death because a lot of deaths would be like that in the Arena. Olivine died surrounded by her allies and friends. For the first time, the Party alliance isn't partying. Thanks Primaryfocus for letting us use Olivine again.**

 **As for Akari, she didn't die, but she probably wishes she had. She hit the wall with her ribs, which are now horribly bruised and a few are cracked. Her internal organs, particularly her solar plexus, are damaged and her leg is barely functional. Arielle has a severely lacerated arm to deal with, so they're in pretty poor shape right now.**


	33. True Grit

Steel Keshmin

I didn't want to move until my wound was set, but the dog wasn't going to give me that much time. I could hear the hinges straining as the mutt threw itself at the door over and over. The door crumpled under the onslaught, and the dog ran up the stairs to the only other door separating it from me. The second door was wooden, and I knew I only had minutes. I ran to the door and tried to block it by bracing my back against it, then realized a dog that could break through metal could break through me. I got up and darted across the room as the door started to splinter.

There was only one thing to do. I climbed into the window frame and stood on it. It was too far to jump down, so I'd have to go up. I grabbed onto the overhanging roof and started to pull myself up. I heard the door fall and the sound of the dog running after me. I got my chest up onto the roof and was working on the rest of my torso when a huge weight jerked me down. The dog had jumped out the window after me and bitten onto my leg. Gravity pulled the dog's teeth down across my leg and my arms screamed as I tried to hold on to the roof. It was like being tied to an anvil. The skin started to scrape off my fingers as I tried to hook them into the metal roof.

If I let go, I'd die. The seconds dragged on and I thought each would be my last. It was impossible. I couldn't get myself on the roof with the dog still there. The dog wouldn't let go. It was invincible. All I could do was hang. It took all my strength just to keep from falling.

I flashed back to my days at the Peacekeeper Academy. I'd never known I could be so tired and keep going. It was always one more pull-up, one more lap, one more mile. No matter how many times I thought I'd given it everything, I had to have more. I pushed one arm farther up the roof. The metal was corrugated and easy to grip. I pulled with all I had, and I gained an inch. My muscles burned and popped under my skin. The leg the dog gripped was slick with blood, and I hoped it would slip off. There was so much strain and agony in me that I didn't know what to feel first, and it blurred into a faraway ache.

I focused my eyes on the top of the roof. I was going to get there. Nothing could stop me, not even a devil dog. Bit by bit, my goal got closer. My problem shifted from how to get on the roof to what to do with the dog still attached to me. Sometimes in the Academy, I had to fight smarter. There was only one thing I could think of. It was going to hurt like I couldn't imagine, but I had to do it.

I jerked my leg up. It barely moved under the dog's weight, but when I let it fall, the dog dropped an inch. The drop ripped open more of my leg, and my flesh lost some of its shape. I did it again two more times, and I got what I'd hoped for. A chunk of my flesh tore in the dog's mouth. I knew the dog wouldn't let go of what it had, so I let it have it. The mutt fell to the ground with its mouthful of my leg still held in its mouth. I clambered onto the roof, suddenly light as a feather, and looked down at it. It was pacing back and forth and barking at me, looking for a way up.

I was hardly any better off. I'd lost a huge chunk of flesh and I was bleeding everywhere. I couldn't get off the roof with the dog still there, and it would never leave. But it hadn't beaten me, and it never would.

* * *

Floki Grimm POV

As fun as it was painting nails, we were ready for some harder action. Whyte and I were looking to pick off some of the loners left in the Arena. Before, I wanted to make sure I only fought worthy enemies. This time, everyone was a threat. It made things more honorable, but also more dangerous.

We passed by the two water towers, which were tipped over. We knew the loners were likely to be farther away from the center of the Arena, so that's where we were heading. We started out with our usual banter, but we grew quieter the farther we went. We were on the hunt, and we didn't want to scare away the others.

When we rounded the corner of a building at the edge of the woods, there was a flurry of motion. Whyte was ahead of me, and I ran up between him and the building. In battle, you always look out for your brothers, no matter what. Whyte started and turned sideways. I twisted to see who we were facing, and his sword punched through my ribs.

* * *

Troy Cahill POV

My eyes went wide when I saw it was two Tributes. I'd heard a twig snap and thought someone was coming. I hid behind the building to attack, but I wasn't expecting to see both Floki and Whyte. I'd see the tapes of Floki's Games, and I knew the fight wasn't over, even if most Tributes would already be dead from my blow.

Sure enough, Floki's eyes were bloodshot and his mouth started to foam. He grabbed me by the shirt and threw me to the ground. With my sword still sticking out of him, he bent over me and squeezed my throat in both hands until I felt something cracking. One hand left my throat and grabbed the blade behind his back. He yanked it out of his body, slashing his hand and spraying blood everywhere. Floki rose to his feet and held the sword in both hands as he dropped heavily into a crouch, impaling the sword through me and into the ground.

We were both dying, but I was going faster. I wasn't going to get to live all those lives after all. Not everyone could say they got impaled by a mad Viking, though. I lived my greatest moment in my death.

* * *

Whyte Roberts POV

One second I was walking with my ally. The next I was standing next to a beast. Floki didn't even pause when the sword hit him. He yanked it from his back like a valkyrie and stuck it into Troy, killing his murderer in as much time as it took me to react. He fell across his kill, panting and pouring blood.

"That was _insane!_ You're a beast!" I said as I crouched next to him. After that, it didn't even seem like he was wounded. That would have killed anyone else, but Floki would brush it right off. But he wasn't standing up.

"Floki?" I asked. "You all right?" He laid down on his side and laughed. Blood trickled from his mouth.

"What are you talking about? I just got run through. I am not fine," he said. He sounded short of breath. Just as soon as he went crazy, he went back to being a normal and very mortal young man. He seized and curled his legs under him.

"No. No. No. Just go all beast again," I said. "You'll be fine." I tried to pull him to his feet, and he waved me off.

"What, and kill everyone before I bleed to death? I'm tired of fighting. I could get up. Maybe I could take a few steps. But I'm tore up inside. I just fired my last shot," Floki said. It wasn't possible. Floki was unbeatable. He was a dinosaur-killing berserker machine. But then, anyone else would have been dead already. Most people would have died before Troy pulled the sword out. It was almost ghastly that Floki could still talk. He flipped himself over to face the sky.

" _Skaal,_ Whyte. Honor and victory follow you. Me, I've already seen Valhalla. I'm ready for Folkvangr this time. I'll meet that lady there. We'll start a family that won't ever die. What could be better?" He was so composed, like he was settling in to bed. He looked up at the sun and I expected to see a chariot coming down for him.

The warrior was gone.

* * *

 **13th place: Troy Cahill- Killed to death by Floki**

 **Troy started out a little boring for me his first time, but he got more interesting as he started to look outside the Games. He lived all the life he could in the time he had in the Capitol, and he turned out to be a stand-up guy. He cared for Steel even though he couldn't sacrifice his life for her, and he did good. It's a pretty nasty surprise to attack what you think is some loner and find out it's a Viking superman. Thanks Jayman for Troy. You never give up, just like Troy.**

 **12th place: Floki Grimm- Sword through the heart**

 **I knew Floki was going to die hard again. The most likely thing to kill him would have been a mutt, but I didn't want to be repetitive. Instead he went out saving Whyte and, of course, wreaking havoc. If all the others had been in the area he probably could have killed a lot of them in one rampage. While he was still determined to win, he lacked the raw lust for battle he used to have. He was wiser, and he'll be happier in Folkvangr than he was in Valhalla. Thanks CarlPoppaLOL for letting us use Floki again.**

 **Well slap me silly, you're right! Diamond still doesn't have as many POVs since she was behind from before. This time it was a death chapter so it had to be these characters, but I had her in mind as I went through my notes and now I'll definitely have her soon.**


	34. Never, Never, Never Give Up

**Akari and Arielle have been sponsored some medicine. I'm just noting that here so I don't forget. It will be more detailed in their next appearance. Also, Steel got a pressure bandage for her leg.**

* * *

Diamond Kai POV

The Games were going by fast, but that was to be expected. I'd barely eaten since they began. Without Rapture, it was too dangerous for me to stay near the center of the Arena. The Games were going fast, but not fast enough to go without food. I needed to venture deeper.

I skirted the outside of the camp, looking for an empty building. It was difficult to tell if a building was really empty or just quiet. I kept hesitating until I found myself at the far end of the camp. Away from all the others, there was a single house that didn't belong. It looked like a normal village house, not a fortified barracks.

I couldn't imagine any of the alliances picking such a conspicuous and weak camp. I approached the house, watching for any projectile weapons, and checked the front door. When nothing came out, I went inside.

The contents of the house were disturbed. There were marks on the carpet and one window was open a crack. No Career would have been so obvious. Either they'd left already, or the Gamemakers doctored the house to make us paranoid. I got a creepy feeling that I was being watched, but if there was anyone, they would have attacked. I found the house's kitchen and opened the cupboards. They were filled with all sorts of food, and I helped myself to a box of crackers and a jar of peanut butter.

When I looked into the sink, I'd had enough. There was a dirty dish in it. I whirled around and scanned the room, but it was still as the grave. It was all giving me the creeps. I took my food and left, checking over my shoulder the whole way.

* * *

Steel Keshmin POV

I barely had the strength to strap the pressure bandage around my leg. Blood streaked down the roof like a rusty waterfall, and it still seeped into the bandage. When I was finished dressing the wound, I was so tired I couldn't lift my head. The dog was still pacing around the building. It wasn't going to leave, and my only hope was to find a way across the roofs to a building with intact doors.

The metal roof was cold against my skin. I felt like my skin was clinging to me and shrinking in on me. I was panting for breath, but I was still lightheaded. I could feel my heart racing in fluttering beats, and I was afraid I'd get so dizzy I'd fall off the roof. My hands, clinging to the roof by my head, were bone-white, and the nails were tinged with blue.

I had nothing left in reserve. Even my thoughts were shutting down. I was safe on the roof, but I couldn't do any more.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked the people watching. "I gave everything for you." I was dying, and I didn't know what the purpose was. I started to cry, not from defeat or pain, but from despair. Everything I knew was a lie. I'd pushed myself past my limits to give back to a country that didn't deserve it.

But there were still things worth fighting for. Cierra was worth it. She was brave and true, and everything Panem wasn't. My fellow cadets joined for the same reasons I did. They couldn't all be like the people who put me here. But I didn't want to be part of this country anymore. I wanted to be with people like Cierra, people who valued justice and loyalty. I wanted to be with them, and I was going to get there soon.

* * *

Jynx Susurrus POV

The next time we went out for food, we stayed together. We were having trouble finding anything edible. The Gamemakers probably didn't want any stragglers holding up the action. We wandered at the edge of the woods, afraid to go too far in. The cannons clustered so close together in the trees were accompanied by screams that told us something terrible was in there.

"That's it. We're going to have to be cannibals," Tori said.

"Who goes first?" I asked.

" _You_ weigh more," she said.

"I'm not even touching that," I said with upheld hands.

"Then we're agreed," Tori said. A sudden shadow fell across her. She looked up as a falcon mutt crashed down into her, knocking her flat. Two more landed next to it in the time it took her to get her sword up. The first raked its claws down her face and chest as the others pecked at her limbs. She screamed as she tried to bat them off with her sword.

"Hey! _You_ can't kill Tori!" I yelled, and I ran in to help. One of the mutts charged at me and hooked its beak at my throat. I shot an arrow at it, but I wasn't quick enough to avoid a nasty gash. I stabbed at the mutt's leg and it fell, leaning forward to take me down with it.

I preferred my bow, but at such close range I switched to a knife from my belt. I stabbed up at the bird and it pecked down at me with strikes like an axe. I stuck my knife in its throat and slashed sideways, nearly cutting off its head. The bird slumped over me and I shoved it off. I shot the second bird in the eye as it came at me, leaving only the one attacking Tori. They were both covered in blood, and it was hard to tell who was more wounded. I shot the surviving mutt through the head and pushed it off of Tori.

* * *

Victory Amarinthine POV

Any one of the bird's strikes could have killed me. I was bleeding from a dozen pecks and scratches as I tried to fight the bird off. It fell off of me suddenly, and I saw Jynx holding his bow. He was all torn up, and he fell into a crawl as he approached me.

"Thanks, but I think you might have been too late," I said. I couldn't stand. I could hardly move. It hurt to even talk, but that didn't stop me. Jynx reached me and lay beside me in a half-crouch while he tried to look over my wounds.

"If you die, it's because I wasn't fast enough. So you can't die, because that would mean I killed you," he said, and he smiled through the blood.

"What?! Screw you, Jynx! Wait, _you_ can't die, either. If I hadn't gotten attacked you wouldn't have tried to help and _you_ wouldn't be dead, so I would have killed you," I said. Jynx started to slump closer to the ground. His head landed slightly across my stomach.

"Looks like we both get what we want," he said. It wasn't as bad dying a second time. At least it wasn't because of some dirty, sneaky smarty pants from Twelve.

"We should have wished for a million bucks," I said. Then it was too hard to speak again. It would have driven me nuts if I died and Jynx won. Dying next to him wasn't my ideal, either, but it was sort of a comically perfect death. The universe has no mercy, but it has a sense of humor.

* * *

 **11th place: Steel Keshmin- Hypovolemic shock**

 **Steel wasn't one of the physically strongest Tributes, but she was one of the mentally strongest. I anticipated when I got her that she would last longer than expected but not win, and here she is. She got farther than anyone else in her situation would have gotten because of sheer determination. What killed her in the end wasn't exhaustion or blood loss, but the fact that there just wasn't enough blood in her body for her heart to circulate. I liked Steel because boy howdy do I have experience trying to do things past my ability, since I am a weakling. Thank you Transcendentelvenranger for Steel. I really liked her grit and her refusal to ever quit, which is why I added the dog thing. It was nice to have some development provided with her doubting the Capitol, and she found what was really worth fighting for in the end. She didn't let anyone corrupt her or erode her moral. She stood strong and never, never, never gave up.**

 **10th place: Victory Amarinthine- Damage by falcon mutts**

 **Since Jynx died first last time, I put Tori first this time. It was both cool and hilarious how those two developed into friends. All along they just had different approaches toward the same goal, and they figured that out. They were a great funny guy and straight man pair. They had a great plan going, and they could have lasted indefinitely if there had been food in the gate tower. Thanks Ultimatemaxmericashipper for Victory, and also for Jynx. They had two separate developments and unique stories in their two appearances. They didn't stay static, which was cool.**

 **9th place: Jynx Susurrus- Damage by falcon mutts**

 **It seemed right to have those two go together. Jynx was quieter and less outgoing than Tori, but he didn't fade into the background. He was a great contrast for her and a complete character by himself. If these two come back again, I'm sure they'll keep changing and growing just as much.**


	35. Screwed

Mist Hastings

When I heard the door open, I hid in the compartment under the upstairs sink. I heard someone moving around downstairs and rummage through the kitchen. I was afraid the were looking for me, but the door closed and it was quiet again.

I searched the house for evidence that someone had entered. I smiled with relief when I saw one of the kitchen cupboards was open. It wasn't a hallucination, like before. I was still okay.

It was getting dark. There weren't many people left. It was surprising I'd lasted so long. All the trained fighters knew I wasn't a threat. They probably thought I would sort myself out.

I was still in the kitchen, and I poured myself a glass of water. I smelled it before I drank. After what happened, I would never trust water again. I sensed something behind me and turned to look.

There was a girl in the doorway. I hadn't heard anything, and I thought she must be imaginary. But before, everything seemed unreal, and the vision blended in. The girl looked entirely real, and there were details I never imagined before. Her hair was matted, and blood caked a huge bruise all across what I could see of her neck. It was worse when I knew she was real, because that meant I was going to die.

I couldn't see the girl's face, because she was wearing a mask. I still knew what she looked like, though, because the mask was thin and it formed to the shape of her face. The eye holes cast shadows on her eyes, but I knew she was looking at me, because she was about to throw a knife at me.

The air was still and silent as she threw. I stumbled when the first knife hit my stomach. The next hit my chest as I lay gasping for breath. The girl's expressionless face bent over me as she watched me die. Despite it all, there was something good for me to hold on to. This was like a nightmare, but it was real. It wasn't like before, when I couldn't depend on anything. I'd felt the madness creeping back in the longer I was in the Arena. Eventually it would have swallowed me up. This way I was still part of the real world. I never went back to what I was. The Games healed me, and dying here was better than going back to my life before. Soon I'd see Troy again. This time he'd be real, too. I'm going to tell him I'm sorry.

* * *

Akari Igneous POV

It was a wonder we were still alive. Sponsors sent us loads of supplies right away, but we barely had the strength to use them. Arielle was doing most of the work. She had a bandage all around her lacerated arm and was dabbing at me with creams and strips of cloth.

I almost wished I _was_ dead. Breathing felt like I was sucking a straw. My filling lungs pressed against my bruised flesh agonizingly. My stomach felt like a deflated balloon and my leg felt like raw meat. All I could do was lay there and feel the medications slowly numbing my pain. My thoughts slipped back to before, before even my first Games. It was the day of my Reaping, and my sisters were saying goodbye.

" _This is yours and yours only to give, we have always cherished what you gave us." Fyre says. "But now it's time for us to give you something back." Ender says. Both holding out their hands in front twined together to hold a gleaming black dagger. "Remember your heart."_

My heart. That's what it was: as black as a dagger. Not many of us were left. I wanted to kill them all and feel the rush only death brought. I felt my mind slipping into animalistic rage and pulled myself back. I couldn't go insane now. I had to win.

The door to our building burst open. Arielle screamed as Lotti burst in, followed by Marley and Ava. I'd known they would come. This was the perfect time to attack. Our only hope was that they would stay with Olivine long enough, but we'd heard her cannon. It was the perfect time to let my rage out.

I hauled myself to a sitting position and threw a knife at Lottie. It hit her square in the throat, but she didn't even flinch. She kept running at me as I threw three more in quick succession. Each hit, but none even drew blood. I couldn't understand it. Then she was on me. She picked me up by my throat and twisted my around so my back was to her.

"You killed my friend, you bitch," she said. Her arms jerked, and I felt like I was broken in half. My arms jerked as I tried to grip another knife. There were more to kill. I had to win.

I was still reaching when I died.

* * *

Arielle Ermin POV

I'd known this would happen. If I'd left Akari, I probably could have gotten away. But as violent as she was, she was my ally. I had to stay with her.

It was useless, of course. She was dead as soon as Lottie got to her. I heard the awful snap and then the cannon. Marley and Ava were right behind Lottie, and they came straight for me. I took up my trident and tried to stay away from them without backing myself against the wall.

"Two against one?" I asked. My wounded arm was stiff as it gripped the trident, and I felt the cut reopening even though I barely moved it. The bandage would keep the blood in. I could fight. Ava hesitated, but Marley spurred her on.

"You don't deserve a fair fight. And it doesn't matter. You're gonna die either way," she said. They flanked me and I waved my trident in an arc around me to keep them off. I knew from my last Games that one fighter could keep back two opponents, and even kill them if he knew what he was doing. I swung my trident like a bat at Ava's knife hand and she yelped as it sent her knife flying. Marley charged in and I whirled to face her. She jumped back and barely missed impaling herself. They continued sniping at me and it was all I could do to keep them off.

"Room for one more?" Lottie said, and my heart sank. When I turned to fight off Marley, who was coming at me from the left, Lottie pile drived into me from the right and pinned me to the ground. Ava, who was in front of me, ran up and stabbed me in the ribs. I cried out and she looked up at me.

"Sorry," she said, and she stabbed again quickly. It was nice of her to make it so quick. I didn't have a chance against three people, but I made it longer than anyone could have expected. I did good. Some battles just can't be won.

* * *

 **8th place: Mist Hastings- Knifed by Venus**

 **We all knew Venus would start racking up kills sooner or later. No one else was looking for Mist because she was a total outlier, but Venus just likes killing. I always liked Mist, even back in her first Games, because I understood none of this was her fault. She couldn't help being insane and her life was hell. Since her creator didn't object, I extended her lucidity and she stayed sane until her death. This time, she wasn't a villain, because there were already plenty of those. It was great to see who she really was. Thanks to Ultimatemaxmericashipper for letting us use Mist again. I hope this isn't the last of her.**

 **7th place: Akari Igneous- Neck broken by Lottie**

 **Usually I avoid broken necks because it's harder than it looks, but Lottie is especially strong. I could tell from Akari's form that she was a strong contender. There were so many details I wasn't able to get them all in, but I did what I could. It's impressive she lived through Lottie's first attack and there wasn't much she could do in her state against so many opponents. Thanks Tinks for Akari. She was one of the more fierce and dangerous Tributes I've ever gotten. She was a good match for Venus.**

 **6th place: Arielle Ermin- Stabbed by Ava**

 **Arielle really stepped up her game this time. She outlasted a lot of fearsome opponents and could have lasted longer if she'd abandoned her principles. Like Akari, she was up against three people who were pretty riled up after Olivine. She gave them a great fight before she went. Thanks ItsaCatsworld for Arielle. You weren't complaining or anything, but I just wanted to tell you that I do note how long you've been around and how many Tributes you've had. You've been here from the start and your day will come.**


	36. BFFs

Lottie Parker POV

Marley and Ava helped as I unwound layer after layer of blanket strips from my throat and under my shirt. Thing about throwing knives is, they're not very long. The blade is maybe two inches. It's hard to move with that much blanket wound around yourself, but it's not impossible. Once you get going, momentum goes a long way.

* * *

Daisy Stem POV

It was nice of a sponsor to send me a sling. I wasn't sure I could go up against Tributes with bows and swords and stuff, but I could maybe catch some food. I prowled the edge of the woods, hoping for a deer, or more realistically, a rabbit.

Instead, I found birds. Two huge birds appeared in the sky and I slung a rock at one. It squawked and the two of them dove at me. I dodged out of the way and they ripped huge chunks out of the ground. I tried to dart into the woods and one bit my shirt and tugged me down. I kicked the underside of its beak and it fell back in a flurry of wings.

Two more landed, and they clustered around me. They hissed and pecked at me as I tried to shoo them off. One grabbed my foot and tried to take off. Of course I was too heavy, but it gave the others an idea. They each seized one of my limbs and pushed off, carrying me into the air.

"Hey!" I yelled as they lifted me high above the ground. I didn't want to struggle and get dropped, but I also didn't want to go higher and _then_ get dropped.

"I don't taste good!" I pleaded, but the birds were not convinced. It looked like I wasn't going to get that ice cream store after all.

 _But wait..._ I'd already been resurrected once. It could happen again. Maybe next time I'd win. Then I could eat all the ice cream in Panem. This time didn't work out, but at least I got to fly.

* * *

Diamond Kai POV

It was the endame. With that cannon a minute ago, only six of us were left. Any of us could win at any time. It might not even take another day. Something kept making horrible noises in the woods, at at night we could see a glow. The Gamemakers were driving us closer together. The Arena was getting smaller, and we wouldn't be able to avoid each other even if we wanted.

I proved myself right when I almost fell on top of Whyte. I was peeking into the front door of one building and he popped into the frame of the rear entrance. We locked eyes, and there was no other option. We ran at each other.

Whyte was taller than I was, but I was better trained. We parried and dodged each others' strikes, wincing when shockwaves ran up our arms. I stomped on his foot and pushed him back when he bent over. He fell onto his back and I raised my sword, but I stopped.

What if he was someone's brother? Was there someone just like me watching him at home, already crying for their little brother? I wasn't just taking his live. I was ripping him away from everyone who loved him. I was putting them through the same pain that broke my heart just four days earlier. My arm wavered, and that was all it took.

Whyte pushed his sword up through me. It punched through my torso and propped me up. As he got back up, I slid down the blade and to the floor. It wasn't necessarily a mortal wound. One stab hardly ever killed someone. Whyte might have had to strike again if I'd wanted to live, but I didn't. Rapture would have wanted me to live, but if I'd proven anything in the Games, it was that I was selfish. I just wanted to see him again.

* * *

Marley Xander POV

With those cannons, there were only five of us left. Three of them were me and my friends. We sat in our bunker and I spoke what was on all of our minds.

"Almost there. I can't believe we all made it this far," I said. _Except Olivine._ No one wanted to say the next part.

"What if it gets down to three?" Lottie said. We all looked more serious than we'd been since the Bloodbath.

"I'm not killing anyone. I'd rather die," Ava said. Neither of us had expected anything different.

"I don't think even Red is worth killing you two," I said.

"I've been dead before. No big deal," Lottie said.

"So what, we just don't fight?" Ava asked. Lottie shrugged.

"I guess so," I said. "The Gamemakers can pick a Victor somehow." Lottie and I must have been thinking the same thing. We didn't know about each other, but Ava would kill herself to make sure one of us won. We'd have to keep an eye on her.

"Whatever happens, we're friends forever," Lottie said. "If one of you ends up killing me, I won't be mad."

"Yeah. I won't haunt you or anything, I promise," I said. Ava smiled at the morbid humor of it all. Maybe we were about to kill each other, but it was nothing personal. We'd still be friends.

* * *

 **7th place: Daisy Stem- dropped by mutts**

 **I got the count wrong somewhere. Oops! If Daisy had been super popular she could have won, but her chances were diminished since she's my sister's and all. IF, next time my sister submits, she uses a dummy account, she'll have a better chance because I usually get two or three Tributes from people I don't recognize and I won't know which is hers. Everyone liked Daisy, which was cool. She took things as they came, even when she died. Kind of like Mario dies and he just goes "Mamma Mia!" and he's fine a minute later. Thanks sis for Daisy. Everyone likes your Tributes.  
**

 **6th place: Diamond Kai- Stabbed by Whyte**

 **A lot of people were bored by Diamond. I had a profile for her in my mind, but it was hard to express in writing. She was more mature than most Careers. She thought ahead more and went deeper into the implications of her actions. She loved Rapture like a real sister would, and that brought her wisdom. She saw what she was doing to other people and it affected her. I liked Diamond more than most people seemed to. In a normal Games she would have had more time to develop, but this one went by so fast it passed her by. Thanks Jms2 for letting us use Diamond again.**

 **Akari didn't see Lottie's armor because a lot was under her shirt and her perception was impaired from being half dead and then entirely dead.**


	37. She's Come Back

**Since Akari, Arielle, and Steel died before they fully recovered from their wounds, no sponsor points were deducted for sending them medicine. That would be mean.**

* * *

Whyte Roberts POV

I just killed my second girl in the Games. I didn't think I'd ever like it, but it wasn't as hard as it could have been. It was easier when we were all Careers. We asked for this, as stupid as it was. The girl shouldn't have hesitated. She must have had second thoughts, or maybe her conscience bothered her. We couldn't afford consciences in the Games.

I'd been cheating death since I entered the Arena. My chances were less than twenty-four to one. It was egotistical to think I'd win. Every second I was closer to death. It was less an "if" than a "when".

I still couldn't imagine dying, even though I'd done it twice. I tried to think of how it would happen if it did. I hoped it was like Floki and I went out with some impossibly cool act that would be remembered forever. But there weren't many people as cool as Floki. He was dead, though. If I died some stupid way, like the incident that was not to be spoken of, he wouldn't be around to see it.

* * *

Marley Xander

We hadn't had any trouble with fire watch since that first incident. Now that we knew there was a bizarre goat mutt in the halls, staying awake was easy. Anyway, there was plenty to think about.

Our plan was to target Venus first. If we had to, we'd even let Whyte into our alliance as an auxiliary member. It was unlikely he'd be dumb enough not to see what would happen once we'd gotten rid of her, but killing Venus was a service to all of Panem. After that, we deliberately didn't have a plan. Let the Gamemakers send their mutts and we'd roll the dice.

I walked down the hall and peered around the corner, but there was nothing there. It was hard to sort through the various noises a building normally made. At home, I'd chalk up any sounds to just the house settling, but here, any one could be death coming for us.

I went down the stairs to check the first floor. I swept my flashlight across the room and the beam glinted off something. It looked like a metal face, and I swung my flashlight back at it. It illuminated a knife as it flew threw the air and landed in my throat. I dropped the flashlight and grabbed at the knife with one had while the other held my axe. The spinning light exposed Venus intermittently as she came at me. I tried to yell for my allies, but my voice couldn't get past the hole in my neck. Instead I ran at Venus and swung my axe at her. She dodged back and threw another knife at my leg. I fell to my knees and crawled at her. It may have been too late for me, but she wasn't going to get my allies.

I slumped onto my side and played dead. She'd know from the lack of cannon fire that I wasn't gone, but she might come closer to finish it. Sure enough, she came up to me and crouched down with her knife in hand to stab me the old-fashioned way. I grabbed her leg and wound myself around her. I bit her with all my strength and felt her flesh tearing in my jaws. She stumbled around kicking at me until she finally broke loose. She threw another knife into my chest and left.

I only had minutes left, but that was hardly important. Blood oozed in my throat as I laughed watching her go. She was limping and trailing blood. Whether or not she even noticed the pain, she was hobbled. She'd be no match for my allies now. They'd see her coming and take her out. I'd removed myself from the problem of who was going to be Victor. Lottie and Ava would have to do the rest themselves.

* * *

Ava Hanson

A cannon woke me and Lottie. We both shot up in bed and looked at each other and then the door. I checked the clock on the wall and saw Marley's shift wasn't over yet. Without another word, we grabbed our weapons and went out to find her.

We didn't hear any sign of the goat mutt, so that wasn't the problem. Lottie swept a flashlight around the dark hall and then pointed it at the ground.

"Look," she said, and she pointed out the droplets of blood leading down the stairs. I didn't want to think about what that almost certainly meant. It didn't make any sense that Marley would get attacked and go downstairs. She'd come to us, and we would have helped her. More likely she'd fought someone else and wounded them. Her opponent fled down the stairs to die and Marley was somewhere between, too injured to move. We had to find her fast.

We ran down the stairs, not even bothering to check if there was someone waiting around the corner. The door that led to the first floor was closed. I pulled it open and saw the only thing that could have made two hardened Careers scream.

Marley was dangling upside-down in the doorway, held up by a rope around her foot. Blood was dripping down her body onto her face from two knives still sticking out of her. Her flashlight was behind her, casting a halo of light around her. Only one person could have done this.

When Lottie and I saw her, we pulled back and fell against the bottom of the stairs. As we stood up, I heard a creak, and then Lottie cried out. I saw the knife in her back and turned to face what I knew was at the top of the stairs.

* * *

 **5th place: Marley Xander- Stabbed by Venus**

 **First off, it wasn't intentional that Marley had no kills. It was just an oversight on my part. Realistically she should have killed one of the Bloodbaths, but I didn't put much thought into who killed them. I think we all liked Marley. She worked hard and played hard. She was a great friend and more or less the leader of the Party Girls. Things are about to get really real, since Venus is now twenty feet from Lottie and Ava. Thanks to Marley, they have a much better chance of surviving... or at least one might. Marley was the bomb. We shall miss her, and thanks Mysticalpineforest for letting us use her again.**

 **Someone asked if I could note what the Arena outfits were, so here I am. They're Peacekeeper cadet uniforms, which I would imagine would look similar to Marine recruit uniforms, which were a dark green shirt and camo pants.**

 **I don't usually do cliffhangers, but this one was necessary to get the right pacing. I think the next chapter will be extra cool.**


	38. It Was The Boogeyman

**I wrote this chapter earlier. I just waited to publish it so it would be dark. Aren't I a stinker?**

* * *

Lottie Parker

One knife wasn't going to stop me. I turned and charged up the stairs at Venus.

"Lottie!" Ava screamed behind me.

"Get away!" I yelled back at her without turning around. One knife couldn't stop me, but it was nearly impossible for me to get away. Venus would throw half a dozen knives before I could get out of sight. If I blocked the way, though, Ava could escape. She tried to follow me and I shoved her back through the door. I knew she'd smash into Marley and that would startle her long enough for me to do what I had to.

Venus threw another knife at me as I ran up the stairs. I didn't have my armor this time, and it speared into my chest. Adrenaline and willpower let me keep up my charge and Venus didn't have time to back up before I plowed into her. She landed hard on her back and I heard her pained rush of breath as she hit her shoulder, which was puffy and caked in blood. I punched her straight in the face. She reeled from the impact and I reeled from surprise when my hand crashed into metal.

I flipped Venus onto her stomach and knelt on her back, grabbing her bloody arm and twisting it behind her. She stabbed blindly at me with her other hand, opening shallow cuts in my legs and sides. She was slippery with both of our blood, and she wriggled out from under me. She stabbed at my throat as she did, and I stuck my hand out to swat the blow aside. Instead the knife went through my hand, and I cried out. I jerked my hand sideways and pulled the knife from her grasp. She grabbed at the knife, which was still in my hand, and pulled it out, twisting it as she did. She stabbed it into my torso in half a dozen quick strikes. I could feel myself weakening, and I knew once this last attack of mine was over, I wouldn't have anything left.

* * *

Ava Hanson

Lottie threw me back at the doorway. I bounced off the frame and tried to arrest my fall by grabbing something. I ended up grabbing Marley's arm. It was cold and horrible, and I let go right away. I crashed back onto the ground and my head smacked the wood floor, making my ears ring. I got back up to help Lottie. Marley's dangling corpse turned my stomach, and I shuddered as I pushed it aside to get to the door. I heard Lottie and Venus fighting at the top of the stairs, and I started to climb up. The room was only lit by Lottie's flashlight, which was aimed up the stairs. In its light, I saw a shadowy figure leaping down the stairs at me. It smashed into me and knocked me down to the bottom of the staircase. It was horribly heavy on top of me, and I could barely shove it off. I heard a cannon and knew whoever it was hadn't jumped. It had been pushed by whoever had won the fight.

* * *

Lottie Parker

Venus was silent. No matter how much I hurt her, I never heard anything louder than that single labored breath. I was quiet, too, but that was because at least one of my lungs was punctured. I was bleeding out fast, and my only goal was to damage Venus enough that Ava could finish her off. I grabbed Venus' knife arm and pushed her knife down into her leg. She let out a pained noise almost like a cough. She pulled out the blade and bore it down into my throat with both hands. My strength drained away along with my breath, and I knew I'd done all I could. I tried to will all my strength to Ava at the bottom of the stairs. She was going to need it.

Venus pushed me down the stairs and tried to stand. Somewhere along the way, my cannon sounded.

* * *

Ava Hanson

My scream filled the room and tore the inside of my throat. The flashlight behind Marley illuminated Lottie's body at my feet, and Lottie's flashlight cast its beam on Venus as she stood on the top of the stairs. Her expressionless face stood atop a zombielike, shambling body. One arm twitched at her side, and her leg was hitched. The blood on her knife dripped onto the floor and spotted the walls when she pointed it at me.

I ducked and ran as she threw. The knife landed in the doorframe beside me, and then I was safely behind Marley. I picked up her flashlight and ran toward the exit. I could hear Venus' irregular steps coming down the stairs behind me. Nothing could stop her. Not Marley and not Lottie. I wasn't half as strong as they were. I had to go.

It was Pray that stopped me. She wasn't there, but I knew she was watching in the Capitol. I knew she was right up next to the screen, waiting for what would happen next. But she wasn't scared. She wasn't screaming at me to get away. She was waiting for me to kill Venus. She thought I could do it. She didn't have any doubt.

 _Pray thinks I can do this._ She was always telling me I was stronger than I thought. Silver Claws thought I was worth her time and effort. Marley, Olivine, and Lottie did, too. They let me in their alliance. They acted like I was doing _them_ a favor. I'd always thought they were wrong. I was weak. I couldn't control my own body. But they thought I was strong, and I thought everything of them. Pray was never wrong. Pray knew everything.

And if they weren't right? Venus would kill me as I ran. Lottie and Marley deserved better. Let me prove them right and avenge them, or prove them wrong and die with them.

* * *

Whyte Roberts

Two more cannons right next to each other. The Party Girls must have finally broken up. It was a pity. It seemed like they'd be friends forever.

* * *

Ava Hanson

I darted back across the room and stood to the left of the door. It seemed like hours had gone by, but it had been only seconds, and Venus still wasn't down the stairs. I heard her footsteps coming closer and threw my flashlight across the room just as she appeared in the doorway. As I expected, she tossed a knife at it, and as it was leaving her hand, I attacked her from the side. I shoved her against the wall and stuck my knife into her stomach. She pulled her knife from the doorway even as she fell, and I followed her down. Marley's stuff fingers brushed against my back and tears sprang to my eyes. Venus stabbed up at my face and I jerked aside so it only broke the skin. I'd been shrieking ever since I hit her, but I hardly noticed. Venus struck at my side, but I let her. If her knife was buried in my hip, she couldn't stop me from sticking my dagger into her wounded shoulder. Blood and pus oozed down her arm and she bucked under me. She twisted the knife in my side and tried to flip over on top of me. I bore down on my knife until I felt it scraping down her bone and tearing open her arm.

She pulled the knife out of my side and pushed up at me, knocking me off of her. I scrambled back as she tried to get up. Her broken limbs struggled to hold her up, and she was bent nearly double as she stumbled toward me. Her wounded arm tried weakly to cover the hole in her stomach. It would have been no trouble to walk away from her, but it was far too late for that. I tried to run toward her, but the slash in my side slowed me to a pained charge. I kicked her twisted leg savagely and she fell. Her good hand slashed at my stomach and sides, but I didn't pull back. I grabbed her wrist and slammed her hand onto the wood. Her fingers opened and I pulled the knife from them. I screamed with all my might as I pushed it down at her. It crunched through the bones in her hand and stuck into the floor like a nail. Venus shuddered and jerked her hand upward, but she only managed to widen the wound. I straddled her waist with my legs and smashed my knife between her ribs. Blood welled up and spattered my face as I pulled the knife back and shoved it in over and over. Somewhere along the line, the cannon may have sounded, but I couldn't have heard it over my screams. It would never be safe to stop. Venus wasn't human. I stabbed until I heard her ribs crunch and shatter, until the flesh around her heart was obliterated and I could see for myself that it wasn't beating. Only then did I finally stop.

* * *

 **4th place: Lottie Parker- Stabbed by Venus**

 **When I first got Lottie, I thought a lot of people would underestimate her. She was overweight and a little flighty, but I saw some of that as an advantage. Lottie was a tank. She was physically stronger than anyone except maybe Floki. In an Arena where food wasn't a problem, she was a contender. She was fighting Venus after she'd already been wounded, and it was nearly pitch black. She took more damage than anyone could have expected before she died, and she was nearly unstoppable. Thanks Lisaisanut for Lottie. I always love extroverts, and Lottie was a real character. She was colorful and capable. She was all that.**

 **3rd place: Venus Lorieta- Heart nearly amputated by Ava**

 **Now that Venus is dead, I can let the cat out of the bag. You've probably noticed she never had any POVs after her resurrection. The reason is that, after puzzling over her since my very first SYOT, I finally figured out her motivation. She liked to kill, but she was never psychotic or obsessive. I didn't get it until I finally found the answer: Venus is The Shape. You all know how in Halloween, Dr. Loomis says there's nothing inside Michael? He called him "The Shape". He was a husk of a human with nothing but evil inside. That's what Venus was. If I'd figured it out earlier, she wouldn't have even gotten a resurrection POV. Why? Because _Venus doesn't have any thoughts to monologue._ Not human ones anyway. She's The Shape. Thanks Seungripanda for letting us use Venus again, even if it was just by not being here to tell me no. She was a great villain, and I'm glad I finally know her.**

 **Now that you know, you can look back and find a ton of foreshadowing I added. As soon as I knew Venus was The Shape, I had a ton of fun adding references and in-jokes. I had this exact scene planned since before the Games. Who can kill a movie slasher? Only a Final Girl. What does a Final Girl have to be? A virgin. There are lots more you can find, and I can tell anyone who's curious.**


	39. Eye of the Storm

**Ava is a walking trigger warning, but her thoughts are especially unhealthy in this chapter. This is unreliable narration to the max.**

* * *

Ava Hanson POV

Venus was dead. Her blood wasn't flowing and she was cold. Otherwise I wouldn't have been sure. I got up and stood over her. Someone had sent her a death mask. It was like a thin sheet of bronze that covered her face. It was appropriate for her in life and even more so in death. She looked hollow, like a husk. It reminded me more of roadkill than a human body.

I went across the room to tend to my wounds. The most serious was the hole in my side, but even that wasn't as bad as it could have been. Venus' knives were small enough to throw, meaning that the blades were only two inches long. They were fatal if they hit a vital area, but my hip was mostly full of bones. I was all torn up and I was surely bleeding internally, but it wouldn't have ruptured any organs. I bound the wound with a strip from my shirt and hoped my sponsors, or Lottie's and Marley's, would come through.

I didn't want to ever go near Venus again. I didn't want to leave our building either, though. Knowing things ike Venus were real made me wonder what else was out there in the dark. Besides, there was something I had to do. It was horrible, but I couldn't let my allies down. I limped back across the room and stood next to Venus. I would have covered her with something, but I was afraid if I couldn't see her, she'd move. I forced myself to support Marley's head with one had as I cut her down. She thudded down like a brick and I tried to slow her fall. I wiped as much of the blood off of her as I could and pushed her next to Lottie. I pulled Lottie so she was flat on her back. However the hovercraft was going to collect them, it wouldn't find them as they were when Venus left them. It would take them both at once, like the friends they were.

* * *

Whyte Roberts POV

There were two possibilities. The first was that the Party Girls killed Venus and two of them died somewhere along the way, leaving one of them behind and probably wounded. The second was that I was alone in the Arena with Venus. The cannons went off after the Anthem had already played, so I wouldn't know until the sun went down. If I waited until then, I would know who I was fighting. If it was a Party Girl, I could go and find her. If it was Venus, she'd probably find me first.

I'd never been so close to victory before. The end of the Games was only hours away. The Arena was large enough for either of us to lose the other, but the Gamemakers wouldn't let that happen. The woods were already off-limits. No doubt they'd shoo us closer until we crossed paths.

I wondered which of the girls it was, if it wasn't Venus. Lottie would be the hardest to kill. She was built like Floki, and I never could have fought him. Marley seemed shallow, but I'd seen what she did in her first Games. That girl's head was like a dropped egg.

Ava was my best bet. She was so hesitant and willowy. If the Gamemaker hadn't reset her cloned body to a normal weight, she'd have blown away by now. She hadn't killed anyone in the Bloodbath, and that was the only time I'd seen her. I couldn't count on fighting her, though. It was unlikely she'd survived Venus.

I wanted to win, but I didn't want the final fight to come. Before, I'd only killed in the heat of battle. I hadn't meant to kill Charmaine. She surprised me, and I only meant to stop her from attacking me. Diamond was a clear case of self-defense, and it still bothered me. I wondered what Vera would think of me and how she would have reacted in the same situations. The plan was that she'd win her Games and we'd both be Victors. That meant she'd have to do the same thing I did, but I still felt like she was judging me from beyond the grave. For this final fight, we were both seeking each other out with clear intent. Both of us wanted to murder the other. It wasn't out of panic or surprise. There was no way we could justify this one.

* * *

Ava Hanson

I didn't know whether I should never be scared again or whether I should never stop being scared. Venus was real, and I'd killed her. There were things so evil I couldn't comprehend them, and I was strong enough to kill them. Every second I was afraid another boogeyman would lay its cold hand on my shoulder, and I was scared of myself knowing I could fight back. Was that was it was like to be Pray? To know you could kill anyone you saw and the only thing stopping you is yourself?

She must have been so proud when she saw it. It was a fearful thing to earn Pray's pride. I had to become more like her to do it, and it was so far from what I used to be. Everyone in the country saw it. I must have looked like she did when she dropped from a tree and tore a boy apart. Now I understood why Kazuo was still scared of her. But that's what I was now.

I was proud, too, and that also scared me. I'd found strength I thought I didn't have. I'd thought I was weak. I never had the courage to push my body far enough. I always shied away from true slenderness. I rationed food and I burned all the calories I could, but I could never let go of the last horrible shreds of fat that buried my body. I hid behind gluttony and beauty was always out of my reach. I surely wasn't beautiful now, pale with blood loss and covered in slashes. But I was successful. I saw something through all the way to the end. I killed Venus. No one else could do that. No one else ever would.

* * *

 **I felt like getting in some more reflection before the last battle, which should be up next. Ava got sponsored armor like Cato wore sometime after she killed Venus. She didn't get any medicine, though.**


	40. Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

Whyte Roberts

Getting armor was nice and helpful. Getting a picture of my little brother was equal parts heartwarming and weird. He was as old as I was when I first volunteered. It was like seeing a slightly different reflection of myself. He didn't have the temperament to train, so he was safe. He wore the same plain expression he always did. It always looked like he didn't care. Only those closest to him knew the truth.

I had everything I needed to fight. Floki wouldn't have liked facing off against Ava. He'd have wanted someone his own size, like Ash. But I couldn't underestimate anyone that managed to come this far, especially against Venus.

A booming voice interrupted my thoughts. It echoed all over the Arena from speakers in every building.

"Remaining Tributes report to the Cornucopia," it said, as flat and expressionless as any drill instructor. It seemed the Gamemakers were impatient as we were.

* * *

Ava Hanson

Obviously it wouldn't do any good to disobey. One night wasn't much time to rest and heal, but it would have to do. My body armor would protect almost everything below my neck. I wouldn't have to worry about reopening the wound. Whyte was bigger than I was and with my wound he was probably faster. I'd have to be both more agile and more intelligent to kill him.

My building was right next to the Cornucopia. I ran out right away so I would reach the battleground first. Most of the supplies were gone, and I had no use for the few arrows and clubs that were left. I already had my dagger.

In a few minutes, I could be dead. But it wasn't inevitable, not like before. I could win. I could get back to Pray and be everything she thought I was. Lottie threw me back so I'd have a chance. I couldn't waste her life. Sometimes the Games are won by someone that outfights. Other times it's by someone who out-thinks. I couldn't always do either of those, but I could always outlast. I survived myself and my own destructive habits.

I stood in the center of the Cornucopia and watched Whyte approach. I didn't want him to be nervous and expecting me to jump out. I wanted him to think it was a frontal battle. I saw he was wearing armor just like mine and started making adjustments to my strategy. As he got closer, he sped up. I let him come and waited.

* * *

Whyte Roberts

Ava was wearing armor like mine. That was going to make it harder for me. My longer sword would be difficult to angle up into her head, which was her only vulnerable spot. I saw a bloodstain on her side and noted that she wasn't running back at me. She was going to fight defensively, which was another advantage for me. She held her dagger in one hand and her other was curled into a fist. I sped up as I got closer, intending to bowl her over and pin her so I could freely use my sword.

When I was ten feet away, she brought her arm up. I thought she was going to punch me and wondered how she thought she was going to get past my sword, but then her hand blurred and something knocked me off my feet. That wasn't a fist. It was a rock. She ran at me as I hit the ground, blood seeping into my eyes. She kicked my hand and my sword landed a foot away. She went to kick it farther and I grabbed her foot. I yanked it closer and she fell hard on her back. She tried to kick herself free with her other foot, but it was easy to reel her thin frame closer. She stabbed at my face and I grabbed her hand mid-strike. I bore it to the ground and flopped over her, reaching for my sword. She tried to jerk free, but I was too heavy for her. As I picked up my sword, she jerked the hand that pinned her closer and bit it. It was like slamming my fingers in a door, and I pushed her away reflexively. She pushed off of me and twisted around to donkey-kick me in the face. She lunged for my sword and pushed it away before I jumped for her and wrapped both arms around her legs. She fell forward and twisted around to strike again.

* * *

Ava Hanson

The most important thing was to stop Whyte from effectively using his sword. The best way to do that was to kill him, but almost his entire body was covered in armor. The only open spots were the areas the pieces of armor met, and that's where I struck. Whyte would know his throat was his most important area to defend, and he'd bat me aside if I struck there. He'd likely be able to yank my dagger away, and then it would all be over. Instead, when he tackled me and I twisted around, I shoved it into his shoulder, right where two pieces of armor were joined by a thinner layer of fabric to allow flexibility. That took care of one arm, but the other was fine, and Whyte lurched up and punched me across the cheek hard enough to spin me into the ground. My head felt like it had been emptied and the air around me rang.

Whyte braced his knee on my back and grabbed my left leg. He pushed it against one arm for leverage and leaned back with all his weight. My knee gave way with a wet pop and my leg bent diagonally upwards while the rest of me was face down. Flaming agony flooded up me and I screamed. Whyte tried to pin my shoulder and grab my dagger, but I twisted as far as I could under him and stabbed at his fingers when they got too close. I tried to shake Whyte off and get up, but he was far too heavy. He grabbed my hair and pulled my head back until. He leaned back and pulled harder, trying to get enough leverage to break my neck. It hurt so much I could hardly think, but Whyte couldn't know how much experience I'd had with pain. I'd lived with it so long it was like an old friend, and it never stopped me from doing what I had to do. I stabbed my dagger behind me blindly, aiming for where his head should be. I hit hard bone and dragged the knife down it as Whyte cried out and reared back, releasing my hair. His weight left me as he leapt off to grab his sword. I twisted on the ground and stabbed his calf as he tried to go. He fell and I stabbed it again, so he was as crippled as I was. He cocked his other leg and smashed it into my face. I felt my nose shatter and tears blinded me. I shook them off and stuck my knife higher, into his thigh. I pulled myself up on the blade so I was almost on top of him.

I must have hit his cheekbone. His cheek was nearly flayed off his face and I could see his teeth flecked with blood. He grabbed my collar and tried to throw me aside, and I struck as he pulled me closer for leverage. With both hands I shoved my knife down through the side of his throat. Blood shot into my face and followed me in an arc as he tossed me off of him. I landed in the dirt and pulled myself onto my stomach.

* * *

Whyte Roberts

My only chance was to kill her before I finished dying. I crawled for my sword and my fingers slipped on the mud created by my blood flooding into the ground. I was never going to make it. I was dragging myself along a red path of my own lifeforce. I understood then why Floki didn't want to be what he was before. He must have seen this happen to his own victims and hated it.

My hand wasn't even on my sword before my strength gave out. I hoped Vera had better luck than I did.

* * *

Ava Hanson

Every part of me throbbed with pain. From my bleeding side to my shattered knee, I was a mess. I was afraid to ever take off my armor, in case I fell apart without it. I didn't even stand as I watched Whyte crawl away, trailing blood like a gory snail.

When his cannon went off, I felt as light as air. All my life, I'd always failed. I'd failed to resist the siren call of fattening foods. I'd died twice before in the Games and failed Pray. This time, I made good. I did something right for once. I should have looked at Whyte's ravaged corpse with horror, but I felt only victory. I laughed at the sky and I cheered when the hovercraft came. I was invincible. I was unstoppable. And I couldn't wait to see Pray's face.

* * *

 **2nd place: Whyte Roberts- Throat cut by Ava**

 **People liked Whyte better once he got to be his own person apart from Vera. He was good with Vera too, but it was nice to develop him on his own. He and Floki were true bros, and Floki's probably picking up chicks with him in Folkvangr as I write. I think his girlfriend will forgive him, since she's like forty now. Whyte could have died early on, since he was never as enthusiastic as some Careers, but he got tougher along the way and was ready to do what he had to. Thanks YesMyLordCiel for letting us use Whyte again.**

 **1st place: Ava Hanson- Victor**

 **I had this storyline plotted from the start. I didn't know if I'd write it, since things always change as I go, but it ended up working. I've been trying to use unreliable narration the whole time with Ava. I didn't do very well, so it's hard to tell. She thinks she's a lot weaker than she is. I've read some about anorexia and those girls (and boys) are insanely persistent. They can run ten miles on two hundred calories a day, and that's what made Ava win. She's so much stronger than she thinks, and she has an insane pain tolerance after all that purging and exercise. I know this is just a fanfic and it's not going to change anyone's life, but I thought Ava winning would be helpful to people who really have these struggles. I wanted to show how those people aren't failures and how important it is to encourage and be there for any friends you have who struggle with body image issues. Pray, Marley, Lottie and Olivine saw how beautiful and strong Ava was, and they helped her get to where she finally could, too.**

 **Next we have a few cleanup chapters and then it's on to the next story. The next story will be a normal Games. The outlier Games will be after that, but having them back-to-back is too complicated. All-Stars stories are way harder since there's way more Tributes and the dynamics are entirely different.**


	41. Crowning

Ava Hanson

I waited until I was good and ready to start moving around. I knew I was busted up half a dozen ways and I didn't want to get in the doctors' way as they patched me up. I didn't try to get up until they gave me permission, and even then, I took it slow.

I had a lot of time to think as I recovered. Some of the Victors found the guilt overwhelming, and others felt nothing but fear. I felt both of those, but they weren't the main emotion. Mostly, I felt accomplished. I felt massive relief that it was over, but not because I was alive. It was because I hadn't let Pray down again. Nothing else seemed as important as that.

"How are you feeling?" a nurse asked as I laid back in bed. It was strange feeling nothing but blankets on my skin, and I was glad the covers hid me from the nurse.

"Good," I said. "Can I see Pray sometime?"

"She'll be happy to hear that. She's been camped outside the door ever since you got here," the nurse said. "Just don't strain yourself." She opened the door and Pray swept past her like a whirlwind. She saw me and her smile switched to fury in an instant. The nurse took one look and fled.

"What did they do?" she howled. She pulled back the blanket and I scrambled to cover my breasts as she looked me over.

"Pray! What was that?!" I asked, and I looked down to see what was so horrible. I didn't see the problem- I looked _great._ I was thin as a rail, as thin as the models in the magazines back at Two. I picked up the mirror by my bed and looked at my face, which was what Pray would have seen. I'd always wished my hair wasn't so dirty blonde, and now it was a glorious shade of pure beach blonde. My light brown eyes were as big as saucers and my cheekbones could have cut me. I was perfect.

"You're a skeleton!" Pray said. "They actually _took off_ weight."

"I look amazing," I said.

"You looked good the way you were," Pray said.

"I'm better now," I said.

"There was nothing wrong with you," Pray said. She was always so lenient with me. She didn't see all the flaws I had to remove.

"I made it back this time. Sorry I died the first two times," I said.

"Only you would apologize after you won the Hunger Games," Pray said. _That's right. I won the Hunger Games._ I didn't think it would ever seem real. I never had to go back, and now I was famous all over Panem. The most important thing was how happy Pray was. She was muttering dire threats and looking around for someone to chastise, but I could see how proud she was underneath.

* * *

I felt like a million bucks as I faced Harlequin for a second time. With my flat stomach and impossibly long legs, I didn't have to feel self-conscious in my toga-style dress with a daring slit. The stylists piled on makeup but let me keep my signature cotton candy lip gloss. The memories of me and my allies playing with it in the Arena were tender, but it felt like they were with me.

"It's great to see you again, Ava! You were popular right from the start. Did you know that? We were all rooting for you. After you killed Venus, we knew there was nothing to worry about," Harlequin said. Most Victors felt guilty about the people they killed. I knew Whyte was going to haunt me, but I didn't feel at all bad about her. I did the world a favor.

"Oh, thanks, everyone!" I said. "I'm glad I didn't let you down."

"I'm sure your allies would be very pleased," Harlequin said.

"I'm sure they are," I said, and she started the recap. It all seemed far away and removed from me, except for the parts with my allies. I turned away when I saw Venus coming for Marley. I saw my fights from Pray's perspective and wished I hadn't looked so scared. It felt like finishing a story when the last frames flashed by.

I was bursting with excitement and pride when President Galba appeared to crown me. We all loved her in Two. She was the strongest in all Panem.

The crown she carried was a thin circle of a light gray metal. It looked too thin to support itself, but it was impossibly sturdy when it settled on my head. There was a slender vein of silver running around its base, and three jewels set into its front. I understood them immediately and new I'd cherish them forever- a pale green olivine oval, a chocolate diamond as brown as Lottie's eyes, and a ruby as scarlet as Red the chicken. The party girls would last forever.

* * *

 **In this chapter, the Gamemakers do their best to make sure Ava's body issues never improve by making her into an example of impossible airbrushed beauty. Lucky thing she has _some_ more positive influences in her life. Also, I don't know who designs these crowns and how they always know exactly how to personalize them perfectly.**


	42. Sorry Not a Real Chapter

**I forgot to tell everyone I'll be in Duluth until Friday. So worry not when you see I have not written anything.**


	43. Party Like It's 2099

Pray came to see me with two silver claws upraised.

"I got two things for you. First, I paid a visit to the hospital yesterday. They told me the minimum weight someone of your height and build can healthily be. I've seen you primping in the mirror and picking all the vegetables out of your meals. It just so happens that your minimum weight is what I weigh now. For every pound you go under that, I'm losing a pound too," she said. Right away I knew there was no way out. Pray was half a foot shorter than me and still in prime, lean athletic condition. Losing a pound for her was like losing one percent of her entire weight. She smiled at my stymied expression and went on.

"Second is initiating you, so that's not so bad," she said. I folded my arms.

"All right. What did you have in mind?" I asked. Pray's stiffly upraised finger folded.

"Shoot, I didn't think this far ahead," she said. "Wanna go get smashed?"

The full irony didn't hit me until we were all piled into the most exclusive bar in the Games Center. Only Pray would watch me like a hawk for signs of unhealthy eating and then encourage a newly minted Victor to get drunk.

The Victors usually seemed like a bunch of distant relations, but when they sat down, the cliques came out immediately. The Careers, especially the boys, started racking up drinks straight away. The outliers were much less rowdy. Drone didn't even drink any alcohol. He sat with the rest of us sipping a soda.

"What's your poison?" Hyden asked. "Even if a Victor's money was good here, yours wouldn't be." I wasn't sure, but it seemed he meant he would buy me drinks, which was sort of sweet. However, my problem was different. I looked to Pray for advice.

"You haven't ever gotten drunk, have you?" she asked.

"I was _fifteen_ when I first volunteered!" I said.

"Don't worry, we got your back," Hyden said, and he tapped the counter. "Gimme a shot of single-malt scotch. The good stuff." The bartender passed me down a teeny glass of yellow liquid. It smelled terrible, but the others seemed to think it was very impressive.

I steeled myself and tossed it back. The most vile, unnatural taste I could have imagined flooded my mouth in a burning wave. My stomach rebelled at the idea of harboring it and I covered my mouth as I tried not to cough. The other Victors snickered.

"Pretty good, right?" Hyden asked with a very pleased expression.

"That tasted like nail polish!" I said after I caught my breath.

"Philistines," he sniffed.

"Is there anything that doesn't taste like alcohol?" I asked.

"Oh, you want what Cornflower's getting," Pray said. She looked down the bar to where the bartender was adding a tablespoon of alcohol to a cup full of brightly colored fruit juices and soda.

"Yeah, that looks way better," I said.

"The Fizzy Tickler. A real Victor's drink," Azure broke in. At least it didn't taste dusgusting, though it would have been better without the alcohol.

I must have been a real lightweight. Some of the others had half a dozen drinks, and I sipped through two Fizzy Ticklers, but we were all giggly before long. The other patrons retreated as we started getting louder and rowdier, and soon it was only us.

"So what's it like getting to play three Games?" Estrella asked. I had to listen closely because it was so slurred. "Wish I could've done that."

"It was scary," I admitted. I didn't feel as embarrassed as I would have otherwise. There was an aura in the air that what happened in the bar stayed in the bar.

"It's okay. Most of us are scared. Not me of course, but most of us," Estrella said.

"Yeah, I almost threw up when the buzzer sounded," Hyden said as he swayed on his chair.

"Of course they were all scared," Peridot said as she pointed vaguely in the direction of the non-Careers.

"Pray was scared too. She just won't admit it," Hyden said. Pray whirled around like a tiger.

" _I was not!_ I _never_ get scared! I'm a _hunter!"_ she bellowed. Hyden was almost too drunk and stupid to live, because he went on.

"Then why did you have a teddy bear with you?" he asked. It was barely out before everything fell apart. Pray jumped on him and they crashed to the ground, rolling and grappling. Azure jumped in to help Hyden and Estrella joined to help Pray. The non-Careers scattered, except Toby, who tried to help people up and dust them off. Peridot smashed a bar stool for no reason and threw another at the wall. Toby's friend sat on the bar pouring colorful drinks out and watching the splashes. Jerky slipped on one of her puddles and threw a bottle at her, but he missed and it shattered on the wall. She started playing with the blue shards. I didn't know where to start, and it was hard to walk anyway. I would have helped Pray, but that would have made her mad. We were just lucky her silver claws were only paint today.

Somehow, they got us all kicked out. Those of us who could walk went back to our rooms. Hyden, sporting a bloody nose, shook my hand unsteadily before he went.

"That was a great time. Wow, what a great time. Did you have a good time?" he said. I couldn't even answer before he stumbled away with Pray glaring at his back. She was unsteadier than I was, so I helped her back to her room.

"Were you really never scared?" I dared to ask at the door. If Pray ever had a soft spot, it was for me.

"Sometimes I thought I was going to die. But I wasn't scared," she said with a faraway look. Her tone was flat and her words barely held together. "I kept looking over my shoulder like someone was following me. I wasn't scared though. Sometimes it was dark and there were noises and I had to stay still. I fought a girl. She almost killed me. I was the hunter, but sometimes I cried. But I was never scared."

If Pray even remembered saying that, she was never going to mention it again. She was Silver Claws, the hunter, never Pray Jager, the Tribute. I didn't think it was possible for Pray to be scared. When she denied it, I almost believed her.

* * *

 **One more chapter should do it. I might as well get ready, so go ahead and send in submissions for my inevitable next story. The only thing I don't need is a Six male, for reasons you'll probably figure out before I even write the next chapter.**

 **I forgot what Ava's talent was supposed to be. I think it was mentoring and counseling kids like herself, but I wasn't sure.**


	44. Epilogue

Most Victors felt guilty about killing other Tributes. I didn't, but I felt guilty because I _didn't_ feel guilty. To a Career, killing was just part of the Games. It was even harder to feel guilty when all my opponents were volunteers as well. The only one of us who was innocent was Mist, weirdly enough. The only thing I was sad about was losing my friends, which was selfish. I should have been sad about everyone who died, not just the ones I was with.

I liked living in the Victor's Village, even though sometimes I felt like I didn't fit in with the other Victors. They were all so strong and toned. It took me three times to win, and I felt inadequate. I took a house a few spots down from Pray's. We had a lot more occupants in our Village than most, but somehow all the houses around Pray were empty. There was always a party going on somewhere in the village, and we went to them when we felt like it. More often we prowled around by ourselves and got into mischief.

It was hard to really agree with Pray when she told me I looked good. She always wanted me to gain about five pounds, but I thought I'd _really_ be pretty if I lost five. It felt like I was letting myself go if I didn't keep an eye on my diet. I was listless without the order and security my regimented meals brought me. I finally settled on a compromise. Instead of losing weight, I focused on maintaining it. I'd eat three times a day, but I made sure to exercise and not to overindulge. I shifted my attention from "skinny" to "healthy" and tried to be content with the reasonably slender body the Gamemakers gave me.

The hardest times were when I had to go back to the Capitol for reunions or talk show appearances. The lavish banquets were always accompanied by those lovely little vials that could let me eat as much as I wanted and never gain weight. After years of sticking my finger down my throat, it was an unbearable temptation. If I didn't go, Pray would be suspicious, so I spent the nights plastered to the wall nibbling fruit.

I went through cycles of good and bad periods. Some months I felt like I might actually be sexy. Other months I snuck into the bathroom while Pray was teaching in the Academy. I thought after I got skinny, all the bad feelings would go away. Instead, they just got quieter sometimes. It seemed problems like mine didn't really go away, they just got better. I'd always wonder if I was fat in the back of my head, but I could deal with it. I had people to support me and I had other hobbies to focus on, like finding my talent. I'd already proven I was stronger than I thought. The worst was over, and I was ready for what came next.

* * *

 **That should do it. This story moved faster because the Tributes were fiercer, but the next one should be more sedate. Next up is a normal Games, since All-Stars ones are harder to write. The non-Career All-Stars will come after that. I'm sure I'll see most of you there.**


End file.
